There's real hype over the Houston Texans receivers but it may be too soon to decree them the best

There are a lot of reasons to be hyped about the Houston Texans' offense this season. C.J. Stroud has a lot of hype around him and rightfully so. Many expect him to have an even bigger season in 2024 than in 2023, and should that happen the team will see far more wins and hopefully a deeper run in the playoffs. A byproduct of Stroud's continued success will be his wide receivers achieving huge feet alongside him.

Stroud could be one of the few quarterbacks to have a team of three 1,000-yard receivers. A feat that has only happened five times before. The 1980 San Diego Chargers, the 1989 Washington Commanders, the 1995 Atlanta Falcons, the 2004 Indianapolis Colts, and the 2008 Arizona Cardinals. Of those teams to do that, three of them had Hall of Fame quarterbacks (Dan Fouts, Peyton Manning, and Kurt Warner), while another would go on to win a Super Bowl (Mark Rypien).

Stroud can be the sixth man to enter that fraternity of sorts, but he can only do it if the team's hype at the receiving position goes from on paper to on-the-field production.

There is good reason to believe Stroud will be the sixth quarterback to reach that benchmark of having three 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. There's also reason to have doubt he can do so, after all, it's not like he's got the same type of talent around him that guys like Manning and Warner had.

Those two had guys who were established, team players, who did everything they could to help the team get better. They were also healthy, to boot. The Houston Texans trio of potential stars have some lingering question marks.

For instance, Stefon Diggs declined some from 2022 to 2023. Is that his new normal or was that a blip on the radar? Moreover, is he someone who will put his ego aside to help the team win, or will he pout when he gets passed over?

Then we have Nico Collins. Collins had a big 2023, but was that a fluke or a sign of things to come? That's going to be a question put to the test often in 2024.

Lastly, we have Tank Dell, who by all accounts is going to be ready to go, but the man did break his leg during the season and was later a victim in a night club shooting earlier this spring in Florida. That type of physical turmoil can take a lot out of a person, so will he be healthy all season?

There's good reason to believe this trio will be as good as advertised, but with more and more outlets raising the expectation and the bar for them, it's important to remind ourselves of all the possible outcomes. Even the unpleasant ones. It helps keep us grounded and our expectations far more manageable.