The Houston Texans made one of the league's biggest splashes last year, acquiring Stefon Diggs from the Buffalo Bills. Pairing Diggs with Nico Collins should have created one of the best one-two punches in the NFL at wide receiver.
But alas, a torn ACL ended Diggs's season early and now the star receiver is set to hit free agency. Will Houston bring him back, or will the injury scare the team away from Diggs and lead to it looking elsewhere to find another weapon for quarterback C.J. Stroud?
If Stefon Diggs chooses to go elsewhere in 2025, or if the Texans choose to move on, then who are options for the team to sign? Here are five potential candidates to join the team who can provide the team with a quality No. 2 option after Collins.
5. DeAndre Hopkins
In the words of the classic Bob Dylan album title, we're bringing it all back home by returning DeAndre Hopkins to the place where he began his NFL career: Houston.
Putting aside questions of whether Hopkins would want to return to Houston, this move would give Stroud a reliable veteran with loads of NFL experience. He dealt with a knee injury after he was traded to the Chiefs in the middle of the 2024 season.
Maybe Hopkins has lost a touch from his first stint in Houston, but with Collins and, hopefully, a healthy Tank Dell, Houston doesn't need a burner. Hopkins can still be an elite possession receiver for this Texans offense, giving Stroud a short-yardage option for when he decides not to go for it all.
4. Hollywood Brown
So, you know how I just used the phrase "healthy Tank Dell." Here's the issue with that: I'm not sure we're ever going to get a healthy Tank Dell.
So maybe instead of going for a possession receiver, the Texans opt to pursue a different 2024 Kansas City Chiefs wideout: Hollywood Brown.
Injuries kept Brown out the majority of the season last year, with his debut not coming until KC's Week 16 game against the Texans due to a shoulder issue. He caught five passes for 45 yards in that game.
We learned in 2023 that C.J. Stroud loves to throw some bombs. There were weeks where he made Noah Brown look elite. His aDOT dropped a bit in 2024 though from 9.0 to 8.2, partially from Stroud not having time to let deep routes develop as he played behind an awful offensive line.
Assuming Houston fixes that line – or even just makes gradual improvements to it — then Brown could do some real damage in H-Town as the burner in this offense. Collins will draw much of the defensive attention, leaving Brown to exploit one-on-one matchups. This would be a great signing for Houston to make.
3. Darius Slayton
As far as the mix of talent and value goes, Darius Slayton is my top pick for who Houston should go after. Sure, at his peak, he was the worst player on this list, but none of these five options are at their peak anymore. All come with concerns, but Slayton might have the fewest.
The former Giant led New York in receiving yards four times in his six seasons, giving the team steady snaps at a position that it struggled to figure out.
Maybe Slayton doesn't bring star power to Houston, but he's a quick receiver who knows how to find open space. Stroud would love him.
2. Amari Cooper
In bringing in Stefon Diggs, the Texans stole a talented wide receiver from the Buffalo Bills.
In bringing in Amari Cooper, the Texans would be doing the same thing all over again, only in a way that's probably far less impactful.
At this point, Cooper is who he is, a talented receiver who has struggled with consistency. Coming off the worst season of his career, the Texans should be able to get Cooper at a discount, but it's just a question of if the team thinks he's more likely to be the guy that made the Pro Bowl in 2023 or the guy who was a non-factor after being traded to Buffalo during the 2024 season. At the right price, it would be worth betting on the former.
1. Keenan Allen
This would likely be the cheapest option because of Allen's age. The 32-year-old former Charger spent last season in Chicago, where he had a very uneven season.
There was a five-game stretch during the year where Allen had 70 or more receiving yards four times, showcasing that he still had the ability to deliver big showings, but he didn't have a single 50-yard game outside of that stretch. Age is catching up to Allen, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still have some good games left in him.
But a move to Houston could be a nice bit of rejuvenation for Allen, who would have a better quarterback working to get him the ball. There are better choices for the Texans to make, but this isn't a bad fallback plan.