Stefon Diggs has gained a reputation throughout his NFL career as both a prolific playmaker and perhaps a troublesome locker-room presence. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith had some strong words for Diggs on Wednesday following his trade to the Houston Texans.
Stephen A. Smith to Stefon Diggs: ‘You Can’t Mess This Up’
Smith gave his thoughts on the Diggs trade during Wednesday’s edition of First Take, and he had some words of caution for the newest member of the Texans as he moves to his third NFL franchise ahead of his 10th professional season.
“You can’t mess this up, Stefon,” Smith said. “You can’t do it. You got traded out of Minnesota; you got traded out of Buffalo. When we look at you, and we see your greatness, but we see that you’ve been moved not once but twice, and we’ve heard the storylines associated with you — you can’t go to Houston now and be a malcontent.”
Diggs has been a highly productive wide receiver across his professional career, including now six straight seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards and six or more touchdown grabs. He went for career-highs of 127 catches for 1,535 yards in 2020, his first season with the Buffalo Bills, and has been a crucial difference-maker for the franchise every year since then.
However, Diggs has developed a bit of a reputation as a problem in the locker room for how his time ended in Minnesota and has now again in Buffalo. He asked out with the Vikings and appears to at least have wanted a move away from the Bills, whether or not he outright asked for it.
“I’ve been talking about it since the summertime — I said Stefon Diggs didn’t want to be there,” Smith said. “This is validation. I understand people want to act like it’s just a trade. No, the man has wanted out. He lost belief in the franchise. He believed they missed their window, and he was wearing his emotions on his sleeve.”
Houston Texans Loaded With Offensive Weapons
While Smith has his concerns, he does acknowledge how this is a strong landing spot for Diggs and his addition could take this Texans’ offense to new heights.
“He should be thankful because the Buffalo Bills sent him to a really, really good situation.”
.@stephenasmith reacts to the Bills trading Stefon Diggs to Houston 😯 pic.twitter.com/HTvLKwY4Ts
— First Take (@FirstTake) April 3, 2024
“C.J. Stroud is an absolute stud,” Smith said. “This brother can ball; he is something special. Tank Dell, Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz, these brothers can play now.”
Stroud burst onto the scene last year with one of the top rookie quarterback performances in recent memory, racking up 4,108 passing yards with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions while leading the Texans to a playoff berth.
Collins was the team’s leading receiver after posting 80 catches for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns. Dell emerged as a big-time contributor for the Texans last year as a rookie, racking up 47 catches for 709 yards and seven touchdowns across 11 games played in an injury-shortened year. Meanwhile, in his first season in Houston, Schultz had 59 catches for 635 yards and five scores in 2023.
Noah Brown and Robert Woods were even solid in less prominent roles with nearly 1,000 receiving yards between them.
KEEP READING: ‘Those Guys [Are] a Contender Right Now’ – NFL Great Praises Houston Texans’ Trade for Stefon Diggs
Now, Diggs is set to join the mix, and he’s not Houston’s only big addition of the offseason. The Texans traded a seventh-round draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for running back Joe Mixon, who ran for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns last season and has posted 1,000+ yards in four of his seven professional seasons.
Assuming that core can largely stay healthy, the Texans have quite the group of offensive playmakers to trot out in 2024 as they aim to build on a resurgent 2023 campaign.
