C.J. Stroud wants Stefon Diggs to know that he has his back as the All-Pro wide receiver prepares to play his former team on Sunday.
The Houston Texans quarterback defended Diggs from criticism he’s received since his trade from the Buffalo Bills in April, telling reporters that “it’s been great” to work with the star wideout so far this season.
“I think he got a bad rap just by the media and by people,” Stroud said of Diggs. “But he’s been nothing but just amazing to this team and to his teammates. He’s helped me out a ton. As you can see, we’re clicking more and more every game. So I’m very happy for him, and I’m glad that he’s finally having fun playing the game and doing what he loves to do because he loves football a lot. So, just really, really happy to be part of his journey and just being around him has been really awesome.”
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The Bills’ breakup with Diggs didn’t seem to be pleasant as some developments played out publicly. A day prior to the trade being agreed to, Diggs implied that he was essential to Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s success in a social media post.
Diggs recognizes that there will be more attention brought to Sunday’s game, but he’s focused on controlling what he can do on the field to help the Texans win.
“Block out the noise,” Diggs told reporters on Wednesday. “A lot of other people are going to feel a way or have a lot to say about X, Y, Z and I don’t mind. I’m not mad at it. Just trying to go 1-0. Obviously, they’re a good team. They have a lot of guys that can fly around on the defense. But they’re a really good team. So I look forward to it.”
In a report from ESPN on Wednesday, there wasn’t a particular moment cited as the reason for the Bills’ decision to trade Diggs to the Texans. However, a Bills source was quoted in the story saying, “The offense didn’t need [Diggs] anymore.”
Diggs, who led the league in receptions over his four seasons playing with Allen in Buffalo, saw his production dwindle late in the 2023 season. He had only 388 receiving yards and a touchdown in the final 10 games of the season, including the playoffs. Despite Diggs’ lack of production, the Bills won five games in a row to make the postseason and won a playoff game before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round.
So far, the Bills have looked more than OK without Diggs. They’re off to a 3-1 start and rank second in scoring offense (30.5 points per game). Allen caused some brief controversy following the Bills’ blowout win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3 when he said, “It’s a fun and wonderful thing when you got a bunch of guys that don’t care about the stats. They don’t care about the touchdowns.”
Many took that comment as a swipe at Diggs. Allen said that wasn’t the case, though, telling reporters last week, “I love 14.”
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Meanwhile, Diggs has helped his team get off to a 3-1 start as well. He remained diplomatic when he was asked about his former team, saying he’s enjoying his time with his new team.
“I have a lot of fun,” Diggs said Thursday at his locker. “Obviously when you go to a new team, this is my second time going to a new team, you never know what to expect and what kind of guys you’ll be around. Obviously, I do have a little bit of a rapport with C.J. prior to [the trade]. It’s easy to get a bad rap.
“You know word travels fast, but when you get to a place and people get to know you, they kind of get to gauge you for their own personal and their interaction with you. I think, just to turn a corner when I get somewhere else, it usually be smiles and a whole lot of positive stuff. So, I just take it with a grain of salt. I’ve got big shoulders. I can take it.”
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Diggs has 25 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns in his first four games with his new team. If prior history is any indication, he’ll add to that in a big way on Sunday. When Diggs faced the Minnesota Vikings for the first time after they traded him, he recorded 12 receptions for 128 yards.
While it might be easy for Diggs to muster up a motivational edge for Sunday’s game, he said that it won’t be emotional for him “at all.”
“For me, obviously, going into any situation you want to earn the respect of your teammates and earn the respect of your coaches. It’s important to me,” Diggs said. “Everything is important to me. I pride myself on trying to make things better. I think it’s important.”
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