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Texans players hope WR Stefon Diggs returns for 2025 season

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Joe Mixon said on Monday that he’d love to have Stefon Diggs as his locker mate in 2025 as the Houston Texans look to run it as AFC South champions.

He’s not the only member of the offense who would love to see the four-time Pro Bowl receiver back in the huddle.

“That’s my boy. I would love to have Stef back,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said on Monday. “He’s somebody that I would love to do this whole thing back with.”

Diggs, a two-time All-Pro receiver entering his 11th season, headlines the Texans’ free-agent class as their season comes to a close. After Houston traded a 2025 second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills to acquire Diggs, the franchise restructured his contract to a one-year deal.

Despite coming off a torn ACL, Diggs will have options. He posted four consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns as the No. 1 target for Josh Allen in Buffalo.

He was well on his way to the fifth 1K year before being sidelined for the remainder of the season in Week 8. Since then, Diggs has been training away from the facility, but he told NFL Network’s Good Morning Football in December that he’s “in a good spot” throughout his recovery.

Mixon, who inked a three-year extension after being traded from Cincinnati, said he believes Diggs is on the proper trajectory for a resurgent 2025 season.

“He’s definitely on track to becoming better and returning from his injury,” Mixon said. “I’m just excited that he’s back on his feet.”

Before the injury, Diggs had taken over as a leader in the locker room. He was well-liked by his teammates and offered advice to young players. He was even voted a team captain despite rumors of his attitude during his time in Buffalo.

Stroud said their connection was finally heating up before the ACL injury, mentioning how the duo was “starting to build a rapport.” In eight games, Diggs ranked seventh in receptions (47) and total 496 receiving yards for four total touchdowns.

“Dude is an All-Pro,” wide receiver Nico Collins said. “He’s a playmaker. Dude’s been making plays in this league for a while, and there’s no better person to get advice from.
Wishing him the best in recovery and I can’t wait to see him.”

Plans could change with Diggs’ future in Houston. Initially, it seemed as if the Texans were content with losing him this offseason, but with Tank Dell’s knee injury likely keeping him out for all of 2025, retaining the 31-year-old might be best for all parties.

Collins said that while his on-field presence was missed, it was his leadership in the locker room that was drastically noticed.

“That’s who Stef is, he’s a leader. Great, great leader in the receiver room. Great leader around the league,” Collins said. “Dude’s been around the league for years. He knows what it takes to win, and you want to have that leadership in the locker room. For him to go down, it hurt.”

Houston will target at least one playmaker this offseason. When asked if Diggs could be in line to return for Year 2, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans remained quiet on the reunion talks.

“I won’t get into specifics of each player, but me and [General Maanger] Nick [Caserio] will look at the roster and see where we can add guys to help our team win. Each player is different.”

The Texans will close out the 2024 season with an 11-8 record. They’ll select 25th in the upcoming NFL draft in April.