The Houston Texans have added another prominent player to an already-talented roster by agreeing to acquire four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a trade with the Buffalo Bills, multiple outlets reported Wednesday.
Houston will send a 2025 second-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for Diggs, one of only two players with over 100 receptions in each of the past four seasons. According to NFL.com, the Texans will also receive a 2024 sixth-round selection and a 2025 fifth-round choice from the Bills.
Diggs joins 2023 breakout performer Nico Collins and impressive 2023 rookie Tank Dell to form potentially one of the league's strongest collection of wide receivers for quarterback C.J. Stroud, last season's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The reigning AFC South champion Texans have already made a few splash moves this offseason by signing elite pass rusher Danielle Hunter in free agency and landing four-time 1,000-yard rusher Joe Mixon in a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Buffalo, on the other hand, appears to be going through a bit of a reset after losing in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs in each of the past three seasons. The Bills released three key starters - cornerback Tre'Davious White, safety Jordan Poyer and center Mitch Morse - earlier this offseason in order to clear salary cap space.
Diggs' departure also continues an offseason shuffling at the wide receiver position for Buffalo. The Bills lost deep threat Gabe Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency while signing veteran Curtis Samuel.
Acquired from the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 in another blockbuster trade, Diggs put together a highly productive four-year tenure in Buffalo while helping the Bills reach the playoffs in each of those seasons. The 30-year-old's 445 receptions since 2020 are the most in the NFL, and only Diggs and Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams have surpassed 100 catches in each of the last four seasons.
Diggs amassed 107 catches for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023, his sixth consecutive season with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
The Texans will have Diggs under contract until 2027, as he'll be entering the first season of a four-year, $96 million extension he signed with Buffalo in April 2022. The nine-year veteran will have a cap hit of around $19 million this season, while the Bills will incur a cap charge of just over $31 million with the move.
Giants releasing embattled quarterback Daniel Jones
The Daniel Jones era in New York has officially ended.
The Giants agreed to Jones’ request to be released Friday morning, ending a rocky partnership that lasted nearly six seasons.
Giants president John Mara said in a statement that Jones’ release “would be best for him and for the team.”
“Daniel has been a great representative of our organisation, first class in every way,” Mara said in the statement. “His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out.”
The Giants benched Jones in favour of Tommy DeVito during their bye week. On Thursday, Jones told reporters he takes “full responsibility” for not winning more as the captain of one of the NFL’s signature franchises.
After learning of his new role, however, Jones asked the team to be released.
Jones signed a four-year, $160million contract extension before the 2023 season. Jones will go through the waivers process, but teams are likely unwilling to pay the rest of that contract. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
The Giants will absorb a salary cap hit of around $20million by releasing Jones.
Jones was the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft and has started 69 games over the last six seasons.
The former Duke quarterback had his best season in a contract year in 2022, throwing 15 touchdowns to just five interceptions and adding 708 yards and seven scores on the ground.
Jones has thrown eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions this season for the 2-8 Giants and ranks 32nd among qualified quarterbacks with a 79.4 passer rating.
Browns score late touchdown to end Steelers' streak in snowy contest
Nick Chubb ran for a 2-yard touchdown in heavy snow with 57 seconds left, and the Cleveland Browns stunned division rival Pittsburgh 24-19 on Thursday night, ending the Steelers' five-game winning streak.
Chubb's score came in his first game against the AFC North-leading Steelers (8-3) since the running back sustained a season-ending left knee injury on a carry last year at Pittsburgh.
The Browns (3-8) had blown a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and were down 19-18 before getting the ball back with 3:22 remaining after Pittsburgh punter Corliss Waitman shanked a 16-yarder.
With snow piling up and covering the yard lines on the field, Cleveland's Jameis Winston completed a third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy to the Pittsburgh 9. Two plays later, Chubb barrelled into the end zone.
The Steelers had one last chance, but quarterback Russell Wilson's Hail Mary on the final play was knocked down by Browns safety Grant Delpit in the end zone, touching off a wild celebration at Huntington Bank Field.
NFL: Texans bounce back, extend Cowboys' woes
Joe Mixon's 109 rushing yards and three touchdowns helped get the Houston Texans back on track with Monday's 34-10 win over the floundering Dallas Cowboys.
Houston (7-4) snapped a two-game losing streak behind Mixon's powerful running and a defence that sacked Cowboys' fill-in quarterback Cooper Rush five times and forced two turnovers, including a fumble Derek Barnett returned 28 yards for a touchdown that gave the Texans a 27-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
Dallas (3-7) has now lost five straight, its longest skid since dropping seven in a row in 2015, and fell to 0-5 at home. The Cowboys have been outscored by 118 points (187-69) at AT&T Stadium, the third-largest negative differential through five home games in a season in NFL history.
Rush did throw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin in his second straight start subbing for an injured Dak Prescott, and finished with a career-high 354 passing yards with one interception while completing 32 of 55 attempts.
C.J. Stroud threw for 257 yards with an interception for Houston, which extended its lead over the second-place Indianapolis Colts to two games in the AFC South.
The Texans never trailed after Mixon ripped off a 45-yard touchdown run on the game's opening drive, and the veteran running back added a 1-yard scoring plunge late in the first quarter to give Houston a 14-0 lead.
Turpin got Dallas on the board by taking a short pass from Rush and breaking free from the Houston defence nine seconds into the second quarter, but the Cowboys were shut out in the second half after pulling to within 17-10 on Brandon Aubrey's 53-yard field goal with just under six minutes left before half-time.
Burnett's strip sack of Rush and return of the resulting fumble helped put the game away with 12:31 left, and Mixon tacked on his final touchdown of the night with 3:16 remaining to cap a 35-yard drive that began after the Texans stopped the Cowboys on downs.
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