Does Stefon Diggs turn the Houston Texans into true contenders in AFC?

The Houston Texans made a big-time acquisition trading for former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs on Wednesday morning. Per Adam Schefter, Buffalo is receiving a 2025 second-round pick in return. Houston will also bring in a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick.

What seemed to be a down year for Diggs in 2023 turned out to be a productive campaign, statistically speaking. He reeled in 107 receptions with 1,183 yards and 8 touchdowns. He will instantly become the top target for the Texans.

A year ago, the Texans were picking at the top of the NFL draft and hiring a new head coach. By the end of the 2023 season, quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans had led the team to the divisional round in the postseason. Houston now adds a four-time Pro Bowler in Diggs at the wide receiver position. Last month they traded for running back Joe Mixon. Their offense seems to have addressed key areas of need before the NFL Draft later this month.

There has been a lot of speculation over the past two seasons about the future of Stefon Diggs and the Buffalo Bills. Adding to the chatter was a social media comment by the star receiver the night before the trade was announced on X (formerly Twitter). One could argue that consistently losing for the third time in the postseason to the Kansas City Chiefs in recent years forced the Bills to reshape the team altogether.

The early favorites in the AFC to reach the Super Bowl next season are, unsurprisingly, the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs. Getting there will not be an easy task. Multiple teams have already made impact moves to compete.

Add the Texans to that list of teams who are trying to improve in a variety of ways. Houston has a young and talented quarterback in Stroud on a rookie deal. They didn't waste any time surrounding him with proven talent. This formula has been a blueprint to jumpstart any organization into contention.

Although we do not yet know the complete schedule, the NFL has announced the team-by-team opponents for the upcoming 2024 season. Kansas City will be hosting the Texans at some point during the year. This trade could make an intriguing opening week game between the two. If they face each other at any other point in the season it will likely be a playoff preview.

As long as Houston continues to build on their momentum, the Chiefs may have a real contender in the way of winning another Super Bowl trophy. It will be interesting to see how the remainder of the offseason evolves for both organizations.