The Houston Texans lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency to the New England Patriots. Head coach DeMeco Ryans expressed his disappointment in not getting Diggs back.
“For me, it’s always tough anytime you see any guys go down,” Ryans said at the NFL owners meeting. “Stef, being one of our top players on the team, seeing him go down noncontact, it was really difficult to see and he’s been working hard in the offseason. We don’t want to get rid of good players. Stef is a good player. It’s hard to see him go. Wanted to get him back, it didn’t work out that way. Wishing him well in New England.”
Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Patriots. The veteran wideout appeared in eight games for Houston, hauling in 47 passes for 496 yards and three touchdowns.
“It was a pleasure working with Stefon. He’s one of the best competitors I’ve been around. He brought a ton of great energy to practice. He’s a worker. He loves to work. Being a veteran guy, he showed up every day playing hard in practice and showing up in the games. You could count on him on third downs, especially in those critical moments.”
Diggs and the Texans were off to a 5-1 before injuries in their receiver room piled up. Nico Collins missed multiple weeks, while Diggs and Tank Dell suffered season-ending injuries.
With the loss of Diggs, the Texans will rely on Collins and trade acquisition Christian Kirk to step up while Dell recovers from a dislocated knee, multiple torn ligaments, and meniscus damage.
