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On Tuesday, Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs shared his thoughts in an Instagram post after suffering a season-ending torn ACL during Sunday’s 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who reached out in this tough ass time it mean more than you’ll ever know…” he wrote. “S–t lame fr like s–t not fair how much work a mf put in… but s–t here I am… gotta trust God’s timing ima shake back!!! Love yaw.”
The injury is tough for Diggs on a number of fronts.
One, simply losing the remainder of a season given the limited time frame of NFL careers—especially for a player who is already 30 years old—is a tough pill to swallow.
But the Texans are also Super Bowl contenders, robbing Diggs of the opportunity to feature for the team in the playoffs and potentially contribute to what could be his first title should the Texans win the Super Bowl.
“Hurts our team to hear that news. He’s been such an important part to our team and everything that he brought, not only on the field, but off the field. The energy, the leader, the way he worked every single day,” head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters. “Have to pick up the slack. A lot of guys have to step up and pick up the slack. Definitely praying for him.”
Even worse, to facilitate a trade to Houston this past offseason, Diggs reworked his contract, removing the final three years on the deal and moving $3.5 million in guaranteed money up to this season.
That means instead of hitting free agency on a high note—when healthy, Diggs caught 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns and was trending toward being one of the top free agents on the market—he’ll instead be coming off a major injury and 31 years old, potentially limiting his market.
“Yeah man, [Diggs’ injury] sucks. It’s not easy,” quarterback C.J. Stroud told reporters. “You try to think positively but it’s not a bunch of positive thoughts. And I just really feel bad for him.”
The Texans have a true No. 1 option in Nico Collins once he’s healthy, though he’s currently on injured reserve with a right hamstring injury. The team also has solid depth at the position behind him, with players like Tank Dell, Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III also available at wideout.
So the Texans still have quality options. But Diggs has forged a solid connection in a short time with Stroud, giving Houston a dynamic array of weapons. His loss is undoubtedly a big one.
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