That’s a Wrap for Former Vikings WR in 2024
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports.
The Stefon Diggs era in Houston, Texas, may be over.
That’s a Wrap for Former Vikings WR in 2024
The soon-to-be 31-year-old fell injured on Sunday in a win over the Indianapolis Colts, and it took a few days to determine the severity of the injury.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images.
On Tuesday, though, the worst for Diggs was confirmed. He tore his ACL and won’t return this season. NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted the terrible revelation: “Texans WR Stefon Diggs tore his ACL and is out for the season.”
Diggs is scheduled to hit open free agency in March, possibly making his stop in Houston rather brief. Without Diggs — and for a Texans team that already lost star wideout Nico Collins — DeMeco Ryans and Co. will turn to this WR corps:
Tank Dell
Xavier Hutchinson
John Metchie III
Robert Woods
Steven Sims
Johnny Johnson III (Practice Squad)
Jared Wayne (Practice Squad)
Xavier Johnson (Practice Squad)
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Before the terrible injury, Diggs was on pace for 1,054 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, impressive numbers for a player sharing WR space with the aforementioned Collins and Dell.
The Vikings drafted Diggs in 2015 with a 5th-Round pick, and he quickly became a household name in the Twin Cities. He helped create The Minneapolis Miracle during the 2017 playoffs and held down the WR room with teammate Adam Thielen during the Mike Zimmer era.
Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports.
Diggs requested a trade during the 2019 season, but ex-Vikings general manager Spielman held off on the plea until the 2020 offseason. He ultimately shipped Diggs to Buffalo in 2020 for the draft picks that would later net Justin Jefferson and Camryn Bynum.
The ex-Viking grew allegedly discouraged with the Vikings’ run-first offense, skipped practice after a loss to the Chicago Bears, was fined $200,000, and later requested a trade from Spielman. Minnesota obliged about six months later.
Then the Bills-Diggs relationship soured last year and this offseason, culminating in another trade, this time from Buffalo to Houston. After four productive seasons in Buffalo — but no Super Bowl triumphs or appearances — Diggs was on the move to another AFC contender.
Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images.
Oddly, Houston acquired Diggs with a Vikings draft pick. When the Texans did business with Minnesota in March, they grabbed a 2025 2nd-Rounder from the Vikings, and that pick was directly used to obtain Diggs.
The Texans have the league’s sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl in February, with a +1300 moneyline.
Tank Dell will have to morph into the team’s WR savior and workhorse.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
