The Houston Texans offense was already shorthanded at wide receiver with Nico Collins on injured reserve, and now it seems like they'll be down another key outlet for C.J. Stroud. Wideout Stefon Diggs suffered a non-contact knee injury during Sunday's Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts and is not expected to play when the team travels to New York to play the Jets, according to NFL Media.
This is a tight turnaround for Diggs as the Texans open up Week 9 on Thursday night, which makes a possible return to the field difficult, even if the injury isn't as serious as it looked on the field. The team did not practice Monday leading into this Thursday matchup, but the initial injury report of the week -- albeit a projection -- notes that Diggs would've been a nonparticipant.
During his Monday press availability, head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters that the team is "still evaluating" the significance of Diggs' injury. For what it's worth, Diggs was able to walk off the field under his own power after initially going down. He had five catches for 81 yards before exiting.
Diggs is in his first season with the Texans after the franchise acquired him in an offseason trade with the Buffalo Bills. Houston surrendered a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Diggs, along with Day 3 draft selections. On top of making the deal, the Texans agreed to a restructured contract with Diggs, turning his four-year contract into a one-year, $22.5 million deal. So, the wideout is facing free agency in 2025 on top of this injury.