The Houston Texans can’t seem to avoid wide receiver injuries. Last year, Tank Dell went down in Week 13 with a broken leg. This year, Nico Collins missed extended time due to a hamstring injury.
And then there’s Stefon Diggs, who suffered a non-contact injury during Houston’s Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts. What is the nature of Diggs’ injury, and how long will he be out?
What Is Stefon Diggs’ Injury?
We fear the worst whenever we see a player go down with a non-contact injury. Every so often, our worst fears aren’t realized. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those times.
Stefon Diggs –
Hard to truly tell from this angle, but it looks like his Right knee buckles inward as he steps right near the 40.
Primary concern for ACL injury.
Hopefully he got lucky and it’s just meniscus, but by initial video is doesn’t look good. pic.twitter.com/y56c7QCKT5— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept)
The good doctors of Twitter were not wrong on this one. Although it took a couple of days for the Texans to confirm it, Diggs tore his ACL, ending his season and putting his status for Week 1 of the 2025 season in doubt.
Before getting hurt, Diggs averaged 5.8 receptions and 62 yards per game. He posted three receiving touchdowns and one rushing TD while totaling 47 catches for 496 yards.
When Will Diggs Return From Injury?
Given how far into the season Diggs’ injury occurred, it will be challenging for him to recover in time to make it back for the 2025 season opener. The general timeline for return to play is nine to 12 months. With ACL tears, players aren’t truly back to their pre-injury selves until the following season.
We’ve seen players thrive after returning quickly from ACL tears. However, they are almost exclusively on the younger side.
Diggs will turn 31 in November and will be closer to his 32nd birthday by the time he can play again. Sadly, there’s no guarantee we ever see an effective Diggs again.
Prior to this season, Diggs spent four years with the Buffalo Bills. He made the Pro Bowl all four seasons. In 2020, his first year with the team, Diggs led the NFL with 127 receptions and 1,535 yards while earning the only first-team All-Pro selection of his career.
The Bills traded Diggs to the Texans last offseason. He previously signed a four-year contract with Buffalo, a deal that expires at the end of this season. Thus, when the new NFL season begins in March, Diggs will be an unrestricted free agent.
How Will Diggs’ Absence Impact the Texans?
Due to the Diggs and Collins injuries, Houston’s passing game didn’t meet expectations in the first half of the season. That should change in the second half when Collins returns to full health, but the Texans will struggle to replace Diggs, one of the NFL’s best and most versatile route runners.
The Texans lost their first two games with Diggs sidelined, suffering losses to the New York Jets and Detroit Lions in Weeks 9 and 10, respectively. Stroud threw for just 191 yards and zero TDs against the Jets and committed two interceptions against the Lions. Dell broke out for 126 yards against New York but was held in check by Detroit.
Ultimately, fans should withhold judgment until seeing what this offense looks like with Collins back on the field. He’s one of the best receivers in the game and is the top downfield threat in Houston’s offense.
Hopefully, Dell will be able to get back to his rookie-year form soon because the Texans need him. Aside from Dell, expect QB C.J. Stroud to rely a little more on TE Dalton Schultz, who is the team’s second-most reliable pass catcher at the moment. Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, and John Metchie III round out the WRs behind Dell.