Texans' C.J. Stroud Talks Stefon Diggs Trade, Says He Was Asleep When News Broke

Houston Texans standout quarterback C.J. Stroud admitted that he was asleep when the team made a blockbuster trade to acquire star wide receiver Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills.

"I was asleep," Stroud told reporters on Monday, adding that he received multiple text messages from his friends asking about how he was feeling although he wasn't aware of the trade at the time.

When he finally found out about the deal, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year revealed that he was excited to be playing alongside Diggs.

"I was very excited," Stroud said. "I met him at the Pro Bowl. Just got to meet each other, to meet his kids, to see what type of person he was, just being able to grow our relationship from there. It's really cool just to be able to not only go from that scene, to now him being a teammate of mine. Just really excited to get to work with him."

On April 3, the Texans traded a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick, and a 2025 fifth-round pick. Following the deal, Houston wiped out the final three years on a contract extension that the wideout previously signed with the Bills and will allow him to enter unrestricted free agency in 2025 while assuring him $22.52 million guaranteed in 2024.

Despite a rough playoff run, Diggs surpassed 1,100 receiving yards for the fifth consecutive year during the 2023 season. He hauled in 107 catches, finding the end zone eight times. He'll now look to stand in a talented Houston wide receiver group that includes Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Noah Brown.

For the Texans, they'll attempt to build upon a surprising appearance in the divisional round of the playoffs with Diggs in the mix for the 2024 season.