Tag: Houston Texans 2024 Season

New Texans TE Cade Stover excited to renuite with QB C.J. Stroud

Cade Stover once served as C.J. Stroud’s security blanket at Ohio State, and plans to do it again with the Houston Texans.

C.J. Stroud silenced the critics with each jaw-dropping performance on Sundays last fall as the Houston Texans’ quarterback en route to winning the AFC South. 

Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, was highly criticized throughout the pre-draft process for the S2 score. Some scouts believed his mental processing wasn’t quick enough to withstand NFL defenses and certain coverages. 

Stroud chose not to comment, but rather show doubters why their evaluations were far-fetched by becoming the fifth rookie passer in league history to throw for 4,000-plus yards in their first season. He also led the league in passing yards (274) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (23:5) in the same season, joining Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only passer to accomplish such a feat. 

Fans across the NFL were hypnotized by Stroud’s heroics on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Back in Columbus, tight end Cade Stover expected him to shine the second he arrived in Houston. 

The same goes for everyone inside Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

“It was no surprise to me or anybody in that Ohio State facility,” Stover said. “We knew that dude was special. When he got the chance, got put with the right people and the right coaching staff, the dude is unbelievable.”

Stover, Houston’s fourth-round pick in last month’s draft, knew Stroud before most. He practiced against him while still on defense during the week before transitioning to the offensive side during his junior season. 

At tight end, Stover served as Stroud’s security net en route to a College Football Playoff berth. The two connected for 36 times for 406 yards and five touchdowns. 

Stroud earned a second Heisman nomination while Stover earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. Now, the duo that brought consistency to Ohio Stadium in 2022 will look to do the same in 2024 and beyond off NRG Drive. 

It’s something Stover can’t wait to see unfold once more.

“It’s just such an honor to play with C.J. again,” Stover said. “They’ve got something really special going down there in Houston, so I’m just really, really excited to be a part of it and – a lot of emotion right now, it’s hard to put into words.

New Texans WR Stefon Diggs gives high praise to QB C.J. Stroud

In his first public interview since being traded to the Houston Texans, Stefon Diggs gave high praise to Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.

C.J. Stroud was sleeping back in Los Angeles when the Houston Texans traded for Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs.

He didn’t know until he was washing his face why everyone was sending him text messages asking if he was good. The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year is feeling better knowing his dynamic duo of receivers just became a tremendous trio. 

Diggs, one of the league’s top pass-catchers since 2018, feels the same way about coming to H-Town. He knew when he met Stroud back at the Pro Bowl in February that the gunslinger was built differently. 

“He’s a hell of a quarterback, he’s a hell of a leader. As you watched those guys throughout the season last year, you kind of started to see them build something really special,” Diggs said during the NFL draft broadcast on Bleacher Report Thursday evening. “(Stroud) as a quarterback, and as you see him lead his team, it was something that we all kind of got excited about. You kind of noticed it around the league. If you weren’t watching, you heard about it.“

Thursday marked the first public comments from the new Texans’ receiver since the trade earlier this month. Houston sent Buffalo a 2025 second-round pick acquired from the Minnesota Vikings, Diggs’ old team, for the All-Pro target and a sixth-round pick. 

Stroud, who became the fifth passer to throw for 4,000 yards as a rookie, had no idea back at the Pro Bowl that Diggs would later become his teammate. He said their first meeting went well, mostly being centered around Diggs’ kids and his nephew, Aaiden. 

After the Pro Bowl, Stroud and Diggs remained in contact. Here is where the six-time 1,000-yard playmaker saw a different version of the wunderkind found at NRG Stadium.

“In the offseason, the more conversations I had with him on a personal level, it was easy to fall in love with a quarterback like that,” said Diggs. 

Houston’s offense ranked seventh in passing last season with Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz. All three are back looking for better numbers and a chance to claim a conference title. 

The addition of Diggs only fortifies Houston’s passing attack as it moves into a first-place schedule. Diggs, 30, will also be playing for a new contract as the Texans voided the final three years of his deal to make him a free agent. 

It’s hard to imagine the Texans’ regressing with another year of the same personnel. Bobby Slowik is back as offensive coordinator. Houston also bulked up its rushing attack by trading for Pro Bowler Joe Mixon from Cincinnati. 

Diggs, who will wear No. 1 for the first time since college, completes the H-Town trifecta. One shouldn’t be surprised to see No. 7 (Stroud), connecting with No. 1 and No. 3 (Dell) all around The Loop in 2024. 

Texans unveil Stefon Diggs’ new jersey number

Stefon Diggs is going back to college roots with a number switch from No. 14 with the Houston Texans.

Stefon Diggs has a new home and a new jersey number.

The newest member of the Houston Texans will go back to his roots and don No. 1 next season, officially creating the “7-1-3” trifecta opposite C.J. Stroud (No. 7) and Tank Dell (No. 3).

Diggs, whom the Texans traded for Wednesday in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick, wore No. 1 during his college days at Maryland. According to KPRC2 Sports Aaron Wilson, the Pro Bowl receiver paid Jimmie Ward, who wore No. 1 last season, roughly $100,000 for the switch.

Ward will switch back to No. 20, his original number with the San Francisco 49ers.

Fans have been waiting for the area code connection to hit. Dell, Houston’s third-round pick last season, initially wore No. 13 during training camp but switched to his high school number before the start of the regular season.

The sight of a new No. 1 is welcoming. So is Diggs, who’s posted six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns between stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. He joins an offense that took new heights behind Stroud, largely due to the consistent play of Dalton Schultz and Nico Collins.

For now, Diggs will only wear No. 1 in Houston for one season. The Texans chose to eliminate the final three years of Diggs’ four-year, $104 million deal following the trade, making him a free agent following the 2024 season.

That doesn’t mean Diggs won’t return on a new contract. In fact, Houston should be getting a more energized version of Diggs, who struggled to produce during his final 13 games after starting hot in 2023.

Since 2020, Diggs has been one of the league’s most consistent targets following his trade to the Bills. During his four seasons with the AFC East franchise, the 30-year-old receiver led the NFL in catches (445) over Davante Adams (441), Tyreek Hill (436) and Justin Jefferson (392).

Houston is hopeful the Week 1 version of Diggs shows up for 17 games next season as Stroud looks to build off his rookie of the year season. A healthy, Dell, who suffered a season-ending leg injury in early December, should help improve those numbers, too.