When Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in April, he set several goals for himself he planned to accomplish.
Among those? Proving his leadership through his actions in the locker room and not on the field.
Diggs, who’s ready to begin a new chapter with his third NFL franchise in 10 years, wanted to earn the title of team captain, which can only be accomplished by being voted in by teammates.
On Tuesday, Diggs crossed the feat off the list. On Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, he’ll don a “C” patch on his jersey when the Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts.
“I had to earn something I wanted for myself,” Diggs told reporters Thursday afternoon. “I feel like being a captain and that level of accountability not only just holds those around you accountable, it holds yourself accountable. You are who you are. You can’t run from that.”
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Diggs joins linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as the new captain in 2024. They’ll join quarterback C.J. Stroud, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, safety Jimmie Ward, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and long snapper Jon Weeks, all of whom earned the title last season.
Since being drafted out of Maryland in 2015, Diggs has been a captain with every team. He was a two-time captain with the Minnesota Vikings before being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020.
In Orchard Park, he was one of several offensive faces for the four-time AFC East champions.
“The past couple of years, I’ve been a captain,” Diggs said. “Going to a new team, new scenery, new people and earning the respect of my teammates, my coaches — when I say everything, it means everything.”
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While the public perception of Diggs has come with terms like “diva” or “primadonna,” that’s far from the way he’s viewed by his teammates. Stroud, who last season won Offensive Rookie of the Year, said Diggs earned the title and the respect of the roster.
Diggs said that those who truly know him also know the public-proclaimed reputation is overblown.
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“It’s easy to go with a narrative if you don’t do your research and it’s all word of mouth,” Diggs said. “It’s crazy, because you’ve kind of got to rock with the narrative if you don’t know me, I guess.”