Football News

Getting ready for Pro Bowl Games practice back in February, Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was excited about the franchise building on its surprising 2023 success with its returning talent and some hopeful additions.

The savvy signal-caller wasn't about to opine just who or what areas of need should be addressed, but it turns out he had already gotten to meet a future teammate, new Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Unsurprisingly, Stroud is plenty thrilled to have Diggs added to Houston's WR room.

"I was very excited," Stroud told reporters Monday, via team transcript, about acquiring Diggs, a former Buffalo Bill and Minnesota Viking. "I met him at the Pro Bowl -- got to meet each other, got to meet his kids and to see what type of person he was. Just been able to grow our relationship from there. It's really cool just to be able to go from not only that scene to now -- him being a teammate of mine. Just really excited to get to work with him."

Stroud, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Diggs were AFC Pro Bowl Games teammates and are now united in the Texans' attempt to repeat as AFC South champions.

For Texans fans, seeing Diggs added to a wide receiver corps that already boasts Nico Collins, a returning Tank Dell and John Metchie III, it's a dream-like scenario. For Stroud, the Diggs trade -- or at least news of it -- came together while he was sleeping. He awoke to some franchise-altering news.

"I was actually asleep," Stroud said. "I was asleep -- I've been on the West Coast. I've been back home in L.A., so I was knocked out. I keep my phone on 'Do Not Disturb.' I get a lot of phone calls. So, I didn't really know. I woke up and my boy Chase B texted me and he's like, 'How are you feeling, bro?'