The Houston Texans almost had a radically different offseason. The club added Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs and Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon to an already stacked roster. They paired up the duo with C.J. Stroud, Dalton Schultz, Tank Dell, and Nico Collins to create one of the most impressive-looking offenses on paper in the NFL.
The team may have been a lot better at first glance, however. Mike Evans revealed recently on the NFL Network that he was considering leaving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency and heading either to the Kansas City Chiefs or the Houston Texans.
Evans leaned heavily on what was best for his family, however, as the Super Bowl champion opted to stay in Florida. Staying in Tampa Bay was a big priority for Evans and his wife, and when it comes to where you're happiest at, you can't put a price on that.
#Bucs WR Mike Evans said on NFL Network that he was thinking about the #Chiefs and #Texans prior to re-signing with Tampa Bay this offseason.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 29, 2024
Evans could have become a free agent, but he and his wife both wanted to stay in Tampa and eventually agreed on a 2-year, $41 million… pic.twitter.com/LtUxP4kLze
Yet, had Evans arrived in Houston as he was thinking about it, it would've changed the entire outcome of the offseason. Evans' arrival likely negates the Digg's trade, meaning that the Texans would've kept their second-round pick and wouldn't have to wonder what comes next in 2025 regarding their star wide receiver. Evans would've likely signed for more than one year, which wasn't the case for Diggs.
Diggs had his final years voided, making him a free agent in 2025. Evans would've been under contract for at least two if not three or four seasons. That would have given the Texans a little bit more expectation over the foreseeable future.
As Evans is from Houston, it would've also given the Texans a huge chance to bring home one of the city's greatest athletes in a homecoming sort of way.
Evans would have also given Diggs a huge target to throw to. Evans is taller than Collins and is the same height as Schultz. That would give Stroud a massive crop of wide receivers. With Collins at 6'4, and Schulz and Evans at 6'5, they might be among the tallest trio in the NFL today.
Since the average height for an NFL cornerback is purported to be 5'11, the would-be Texans trio would have ripped defensives apart. Oh, what could've been.