The Houston Texans pulled off one of the biggest blockbuster trades in the 2024 NFL offseason, securing wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills. Diggs would become the premiere receiver for the team, which was the case while he was playing for the team.
Read more: Texans’ Stefon Diggs Down After Suffering Scary Non-Contact Knee Injury
Through seven games, Diggs secured 496 yards and three touchdowns on 47 receptions. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Diggs linked up for many explosive plays, and he was an element that helped catapult the offense to a new height.
Sadly, that link is now broken, as Diggs is revealed to have a torn ACL. The star receiver will now be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 season.
What makes the season-ending torn ACL worse for Stefon Diggs is that he is on an expiring contract and set to become a free agent this off-season. https://t.co/pVIIy7jEkk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2024
Even worse for Diggs is he is set to become a free agent, and with an injury of this magnitude at his age — he might not be able to land a lucrative contract in 2025.
The Texans are now back to a place where they need wide-receiving help. They currently have Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, and Steven Sims as the healthy corps on the team.
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Nico Collins still remains on IR with a hamstring injury, but he is slated to return around Nov. 10 when the Texans take on the Detroit Lions.
The Texans need wide receiver help, and the NFL trade deadline is fast approaching. Once 4 p.m. EST hits on Nov. 5, no deals will be allowed to go through for the rest of the season. Houston would do well to attempt to land a receiver before the deadline ends.
Here are three options for the Texans to consider:
1. Mike Williams, New York Jets
It has been well known that the New York Jets are attempting to trade Mike Williams. The former deep threat for the Los Angeles Chargers tore his ACL in 2023, and finally worked his way back to starting. However, the Jets have a stacked receiver room.
Williams is going up against Alan Lazard, Garrett Wilson, and Davante Adams, along with tight end Tyler Conklin. With the Jets set on pass catchers, Williams has fallen on the depth chart and in terms of production.
Williams was a solid deep threat before his injury, and he could become one again with Stroud throwing him passes.
2. Darius Slayton, New York Giants
This one is a bit of a long shot, considering Darius Slayton has been fantastic with the New York Giants thus far. He has secured 420 yards and one touchdown on 29 receptions for an average of 14.5 yards per catch.
Slayton is a starter for the Giants, but the team is currently 2-6 on the season and could be focused more on the future. If there was a time to trade Slayton, it’s now. He could have some huge upside in terms of trade value, and the Texans would do well with giving the Giants a call.
3. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
This is another long shot, but not as long as the Slayon trade would be. A week before the Los Angeles Rams stunned the Minnesota Vikings, there were plenty of rumors and reports indicating that Cooper Kupp was on the trade block.
The Rams are 3-4 and are less likely to want to trade a star for the chance at draft capital, especially if they believe they can turn things around. However, they were already reportedly fielding calls about Kupp.
The Texans might have to offer something to the tune of a second-round pick, but adding Kupp to the offense with Stroud would be magic.
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