Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was apparently one of the last in his circle to find out that the team had added a top wide receiver in Stefon Diggs.
Speaking to reporters as the Texans began offseason workouts, the NFL’s 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year winner admitted that he was asleep when news of the trade for Diggs was reported.
“I was actually asleep,” Stroud said. “I was asleep; I had been on the West Coast, back home in L.A., so I was knocked out. I keep my phone under the stairs; I get a lot of phone calls. So I didn’t really know and I woke up, and my boy Chase B texted me. He’s like, ‘How you feelin’, bro?'”
Stroud thought his friend was just making conversation and fell back asleep. But after waking up fully and seeing similar messages from others, he knew something must be happening. Finally, he saw the news of the Texans getting Diggs on Instagram and realized friends weren’t just checking up on him.
“It was cool,” Stroud said. “It was really fun to see that.
Asked what his first thought was when he realized Diggs was joining the Texans, Stroud said he was “very excited.”
“I met him at the Pro Bowl. We got to meet each other; I got to meet his kids and see what type of person he was,” Stroud recalled. “We’ve been able to grow our relationship from there. It’s really cool to be able to go from that scene to him being a teammate of mine, and I’m really excited to get to work with him.”
Diggs is expected to make a significant impact on an already productive Texans offense. Last season with the Buffalo Bills, the nine-year veteran caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns.
He creates a potent tandem with fourth-year receiver Nico Collins, who notched 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and eight scores. Rookie Tank Dell also put up impressive numbers with 47 catches for 709 yards and seven TDs.
Stroud threw for 4,108 yards – the eighth-highest total among NFL quarterbacks – and 23 touchdowns (versus five interceptions) in his first NFL season. It’s not difficult to imagine him improving on those numbers throwing to an established target like Diggs. Everyone involved with the Texans, along with the team’s fans, are excited about that.
