3 scenarios which could see Stefon Diggs return to the Houston Texans after 2024

The Houston Texans are not expected to have a long relationship with Stefon Diggs. The former All-Pro for the Buffalo Bills came over this offseason, with Houston only giving up a second-round pick to get him. With four years on his contract, it seemed like a bargain, but the Texans opted to void the final three years. This action made Diggs a free agent after the 2024 season. Some thought that Diggs would likely be re-signed, just to a new deal, but then the Texans gave Nico Collins a massive contract.

That all but ended the idea of Diggs being a long-term option for the team. Diggs is in a situation where if he plays well, will get a major contract offer from an NFL team other than the Texans who are desperate for a major wide receiver. If he plays poorly, then the Texans wouldn't want to retain him anyway, so why would they re-sign a player who's on the decline?

So either way, it looks like Diggs is out after one year. While tha'ts the most likely expectation, that doesn't mean it's the only one. There are a few scenarios where Diggs could be brought back.

1. Tank Dell never fully bounces back.

One of the major reasons why Diggs isn't expected back is due to the two-headed bull that the Texans have developed. Collins and Tank Dell were phenomenal last season. While Dell got hurt, he's expected to bounce back in a big way in 2024. Re-signing Diggs would likely put any extension Dell deserves at risk, forcing the team to pick between the two. Yet, if Dell doesn't bounce back and he's not as effective as he was in 2023, then the Texans would have to sign Diggs to make up for the lack of productivity Dell was supposed to produce. Dell's value would go down if he had a bad 2024, making it far more likely that Diggs, Dell, and Collins could all exist financially on the same roster.

2 The wide receiver market implodes

It's always possible that Diggs opts to return to the Texans on a cheaper deal, but that's not a believable scenario. If he wanted to stick around in Houston, he wouldn't have been ok with his contract's years being voided. A far more likely possibility than Diggs giving the Texans a discount is if the receiver market hits the same wall the running back market did. With so many receivers producing at near-elite levels, some believe that the difference between a top-five guy and a top-30 guy isn't that big. If that mentality becomes the overwhelming narrative, then the receiver market will implode and Diggs earning potential will be stymied.

3. C.J. Stroud takes less money to afford Digg's new deal

While the team isn't keen on paying $10+ million to Diggs, Dell, and Collins at the same time, they will if C.J. Stroud interferes. If he makes it clear he'll take less money to keep his receiver corps together, then Diggs will get a new deal. He'll have to take less, lowering his potential earning potential but that could be offset by a higher guarantee. It could be enough to get Diggs to stick around; assuming he's worth being kept around.