HOUSTON — Star receiver Stefon Diggs mentioned Thursday he sees quarterback C.J. Stroud as “household” because the Houston Texans duo prepares for his or her Week 1 debut collectively towards the Indianapolis Colts.
Diggs mentioned he is “extraordinarily excited” for the common season to reach. Because the Texans traded for Diggs in April, Stroud and he have spent numerous hours all through the offseason constructing their chemistry on and off the sphere. The previous Buffalo Payments wideout mentioned his relationship with Stroud dates to once they initially met on the Professional Bowl in January.
“It has been a pleasant street,” Diggs mentioned. “I take a look at him as household, not simply my quarterback. I am rocking with him by thick and skinny. I all the time inform him I’m with you whenever you’re proper, I am with you whenever you’re incorrect.”
Stroud shares an analogous sentiment concerning the connection he and Diggs have created. All through the offseason, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the 12 months has helped educate the All-Professional receiver the Texans’ playbook, even when he was absent at instances from OTAs. The pair frolicked operating routes after coaching camp follow to construct timing.
“It has improved drastically. I feel me and him already had a pure connection on the sphere and we simply constructed it and constructed it and constructed it,” Stroud mentioned this week. “I feel you’ve gotten seen it on the sphere, simply rep, after rep, after rep. Simply me and him having a dialog, simply me and him speaking about issues we like, issues we do not like and simply being clear. It’s going to proceed to develop, and it’ll be a particular connection.”
Stroud and Diggs this week have been named as two of the Texans’ seven captains for this season.
The Texans are the third workforce Diggs has performed for in his 10-year profession after a four-year stint with the Payments (2020-2023) and a five-year tenure with the Minnesota Vikings after being drafted in 2015. Stroud would be the third Professional Bowl-level quarterback he has teamed up with in his profession, and the primary two instances Diggs had a standout preliminary season.
When the Vikings signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a three-year, $84 million contract in 2018, Diggs completed with 102 catches and 1,021 yards for his first 100-catch and 1,000-yard season in his profession. When he joined the Payments and quarterback Josh Allen in 2020, he led the league in catches (127) and yards (1,535) and earned his first All-Professional nod.
Since 2020, Diggs ranks first in receptions (445), fourth in touchdowns (37) and fourth in receiving yards (5,372). So, the expectation is that the Stroud-Diggs mixture ought to excel after the previous No. 2 decide led the league in passing yards per recreation (274) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (23-5) and have become the fifth rookie to throw for over 4,000 yards (4,108) final season.
“I’m actually enthusiastic about including Stefon [Diggs] to our workforce. I imply, you discuss his affect, it is not simply his affect on the receivers, it is simply his affect on our complete workforce,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned. “His aggressive spirit, what he brings each day, prefer it lights the hearth in our complete workforce. So, I am more than happy with what he is completed, the power that he brings, and I am excited to see him go do it within the common season.”
