APRIL 5: One benefit from this unexpected move will come in the form of 2024 cap space. The Texans replaced the Diggs years with three void years, adding a fourth to spread out the wide receiver’s cap hit through 2027. Diggs’ 2024 cap number has dropped to $5.88MM, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. A restructure could have created this cap space as well, and the Texans now have a $16.64MM dead money number — in the event Diggs does not sign an extension before the 2025 league year — staring at them.
APRIL 4: A day after trading for Stefon Diggs, the Texans are making an interesting adjustment to the Pro Bowl wide receiver’s contract. Diggs’ Bills-constructed deal ran through 2027; that is no longer the case.
The Texans are removing the 2025, 2026 and 2027 season from the contract, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports. Diggs is now set to become a free agent in 2025. The Texans moved $3.5MM in 2025 guarantees up to 2024, running that amount to $22.52MM. This was a mutual decision, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweets.
[RELATED: Texans’ Offer Changed Bills’ Stefon Diggs Plan]
Teams do not exactly make a habit of ceding contractual control, so nixing three years of a high-profile player’s contract represents an unusual development. The Texans will certainly ensure Diggs is motivated to succeed in 2024, as a fourth contract would stand to await him next year. But they now run the risk of losing the six-time 1,000-yard receiver after one season.
Houston does, however, hold exclusive negotiating rights with Diggs until March 2025. The parties could work out another deal. Unless something is already in place, the team has introduced a unnecessary risk into this equation. As SI.com’s Albert Breer notes, Diggs checking in with a $22.5MM cap number would spike his 2025 franchise tag figure north of $27MM. That would make a tag prohibitive for Houston. Because the Texans adjusted Diggs’ deal, they would not be entitled to a compensatory pick if he departs in 2025.
The Bears did not adjust Keenan Allen‘s contract upon trading for the longtime Chargers WR, who drew interest from the Texans. While teams have made trade-and-extend moves for wideouts in the recent past — Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown, Davante Adams each signed new deals upon being moved in 2022 — those players all had one season left on their previous contracts or, in Adams’ case, were franchise-tagged. Diggs was tied to a four-year, $96MM deal that featured four remaining years, separating this decision from those early-2020s calls.
When the Bills acquired Diggs from the Vikings in 2020, he remained on his Minnesota contract — a $14.4MM-per-year deal that ran through the 2024 season — over his first two Buffalo seasons. The Bills and Diggs huddled up on the above-referenced $24MM-per-year deal in 2022, and the extension years were just set to begin. Diggs, 30, now has an unexpected opportunity to become a first-time free agent next year.
At the time of the trade Wednesday morning, it appears the Texans would have Diggs’ $24MM-AAV contract aligned with C.J. Stroud‘s remaining rookie-deal seasons. Stroud must be kept on a rookie contract through at least 2025. The Texans had the ability to easily escape from Diggs’ deal after the 2024 season. While removing these years could reignite Diggs — who offered a low-wattage conclusion to his 2023 season — a rebound season would also stand to up his value ahead of free agency. That would work against Houston, even if Stroud presents a nice drawing card for the nine-year veteran.
As it stands, the Texans certainly appear confident they will be able to retain Diggs beyond 2024. If not, they sent a Vikings-obtained second-round pick to Buffalo for one year of Diggs, who will turn 31 in November.
Working to make sure they get 100% engaged Diggs….he knows that if he creates drama or appears to be a bad teammate it will impact his last probably long term deal next offseason. And – if he is great, Texans find way to keep him in fold.
Could be a tough pill to swallow losing a 2nd for one year of Diggs BUT if he’s great….Ill take it.
I can’t tell if this will motivate him to be a good teammate or if this will immediately alienate him and make him sulk every time someone else has more targets than him.
Odd move. I get the motivation angle, but the dude’s put up 6 straight 1000 yard seasons and 4 straight 100-reception seasons. I think the motivation angle is overblown given his production, but this would mean Diggs gets to test free agency for the first time.
The shortened contract also means they won’t get a compensatory pick if he leaves in free agency, but I guess getting that extra second rounder from Minnesota makes the price easier to swallow.
It’s essentially an act right contract now. How he acts how he performs well big pay day. Act poorly like a diva your market takes a huge hit.
Houston can also franchise tag and do sign and trade if they can’t work out a long term agreement.
So they’re guaranteed least 2 seasons or guaranteed to recoup draft capital.
Plus they get a hopefully productive drama free season from Diggs.
I suppose that’s true, and the tag should be similar money, but imagine how Diggs would react to being tagged. I love the trade for Houston and I’m not saying this piece of it is necessarily bad, but it is odd.
I don’t think Diggs will mind being tagged if Texans trade him to a preferred destination. Similar to Tyreek Hill and Miami instead of Jets.
He gets paid he goes to a preferred destination I don’t see him being too upset.
I do see him being upset if a long term contract isn’t being talked about or a trade and being forced to play on a 1 year deal. But idk too many players that are usually happy about that.
Personally nfl should get rid of tags and do pick systems based on contract money no poison pills allowed
If your player signs for top 5 money. Extra 1st
Top 10 extra 2nd
Top 15 extra 3rd
Or something like that.
Teams have rights to match offer sheets.
He was under no obligation to remove three years of his contract. This is as much a try it and see season for him as well. If the league catches up with a second year QB and the team tanks, then he can bail and sign with any team/QB that he chooses without suffering through three years of a Justin Fields style suck fest.
Stroud has already played more high level quarterback in the NFL than Fields has.
Agreed. I think that he will be awesome there, and it was a good trade for Diggs and the Texans. I would take Stroud over Fields without question and of course it isn’t close. However, I reject the notion that the Texans were somehow hedging their bets by forcing a player to remove three years off of his deal. Diggs obviously has reservations about committing to the Texans long term and wants a chance to be a FA, or get paid top five money by a tag.
If he’s franchise tagged he can’t bail.
If he gets top 5 receiver money guaranteed by the tag, then he won’t have to bail because he will get paid. He can also have a big year and sign a long term contract with the Texans that resets the receiver market because they have a QB on a rookie deal and can afford it. Either way, my point above stands. He is not being “punished” by the Texans by agreeing to force that decision on the Texans sooner rather than later. Diggs is betting on himself. He is literally putting his money where his mouth is!
I’m pretty sure Poles is trying to extend Keenan Allen if for no other reason to bring down his 2024 cap number from 23 million and to give Allen some more guaranteed money to keep him around. The Bears could use a little more cap space because no matter what they do I doubt they fill all their holes in the draft. They will only have about 10 million left after they sign their draft picks and sometimes you can add a decent player after June 1 or Final Cut down so cash can be king.
I wouldn’t expect the Bears to extend Keenan Allen until after the draft, when they know which current contracts can be replaced by cheap rookies via the draft and UDFAs.
OT, DE and H-back/TE would allow them to move on from Borom, Robinson (& having to sign rusher like Ngakoue), & Blasingame. Homer will probably stick around given his experience with Waldron. But cutting those three could freeup nearly $6M. A startable Guard could be found in the third, allowing them to try and move Davis before camp, freeing $9M this year.
Interesting they brought in OT Tyler Guyton for a visit, just in case they trade down to the late first, possibly with Buffalo looking for a WR at #9. Also, look for KSt’s TE Ben Sinnott to be a target in the 3-4 rounds to give them a Jurisczk type.
Borom is worthless and Obongbemiga will replace Homer on special teams and Baskerville can do that also. So that’s 5 million right there. Does Waldron use a FB? Does anybody know? Blasingame is worthless anyway and can be replaced by an UDFA anyway I’m sure. Bring Allen’s Cap hit down to 18 and spread it out over 3 years and toss in some guaranteed money should get it done. I’m really torn on what the Bears should do at 9. If Alt or even Fashanau are there they’d look really good but so would Odunze. I say Edge can wait until next year. As far as getting rid of Davis and his pathetic contract that isn’t happening. The best thing you can hope for is he looks decent and somebody wants him at the deadline, But he’s lame and expensive. Nobody wants that.
Bears will extend DJ Moore before they extend Keenan
This was obviously part of the trade. Diggs’ deal is well below market value if he plays like a top receiver, so he’ll be happy to test the market next year. He only had $2.5 million guaranteed for next season, so if he struggles like he did in the second half of the year, the Texans would’ve just cut him next off-season anyway.
While technically Diggs could be traded without any adjustments to his deal, obviously they aren’t trading for an unhappy Diggs. So you find out what would make Diggs happy, and because the Texans don’t want to give him a huge extension, taking the non-guaranteed years off the deal was essentially required to get Diggs.
And if he plays well, he’ll probably stay with the Texans on a market value deal for 2 or 3 years. It’s a win for everyone, at least in terms of the process. We’ll see how Diggs does.
This strange deal seems to reinforce the prevailing thought that Diggs is a malcontent and has to be on his best behavior for the next year if he wants to get paid again. He must be betting he can control his emotions through February. I’ll take the under…
It’s not really a ‘bet.’ Diggs would’ve been under contract for the next three seasons but only if the Texans wanted to keep him. Getting the three years removed is a benefit to Diggs, not Houston, no matter how it’s framed in the media. If Diggs was bad, he gets cut, if he’s good, Houston gets to control his rights next season. This way, Diggs has all the control.
He has no personal control, which is why he got dealt (twice).
This entire development is bizarre.
His problem is, he ended up being disgruntled and a major PITA at both Minnesota and Buffalo. You’re making a lot of money, be happy and enjoy the ride.
If both parties want to eliminate years off of a contract, it’s allowed without a cap hit?
Why couldn’t the Bills just do this?
As the article states, this move actually increases the cap hit for this year. Texans aren’t in cap danger this year, so it makes sense. Teams talk about shedding salary all the time, just to turn around and give someone at a different position the same money they claimed they couldn’t afford.
By trading Diggs, the Bills took an accelerated cap hit for his accrued signing/restructure bonuses already paid. Can’t afford that and his 2024 salary. Texans acquired his salaries and roster bonuses not yet paid. A trade effectively splits the cap charges on his contract between the two teams.
maybe he doesn’t want to be a texan?
At this point, I think he just wants to win a Super Bowl without actually needing any teammates. Not a real people person…
Houston already sick of his sh*^ ?
This is a prove it year and a baby sitter contract. Diggs has to produce and behave or 30million a year will be 20. lol. Both sides win. That is. If Diggs can control his ego long enough to trick the next suckers.
Smart play. Get an aging, but still talented WR; now while Stroud is on his rookie deal. When it’s time to re-up Stroud, this contract will be off their books.
Even without Diggs the Texans seem to have a pretty potent arsenal for air attacks.
What makes Diggs elite? He doesn’t have elite speed and after 30 that will continue to decline. I think an out option after a year makes sense for the Texans too. The biggest advantage of this trade may prove to be taking # 1 coverage guy off of Nico and Tank from time to time. Pretty good stable of WRs if Diggs can still produce. But both of those guys may be better than Diggs in 2025
I’d tell you it’s his route running and hands, but he left both home against KC
smart .. diggs will turn 31 early in the season .. if he plays well .. tag him for a second season .. then let him become someone else’s 33 yr old overpay
At an estimated $27 million (see the article), no sane team would pay that for a nearly 32-year-old WR with personality issues.
Prepare to be sherminated.
Enjoying all your posts here Sherm. The sane team here is Buffalo. What a risk on Houston’s part thinking a personality like Diggs can help get to the SB.
Every team has a team captain. If there is an issue in the “locker room” it is taken care of in the locker room. To me, the “dirty laundry” that made it outside the Bill’s locker room was a red flag and to the point where the club had to move on from Diggs.
In another episode of What the Cap? I swear this cap system was invented to be so convoluted it kept a certain few people employed eternally.
Granted, this isn’t the most complete statistic and doesn’t tell the whole story and there is the question of how ‘catchable’ they all were but he still was the sixth-most targeted WR in the league in 2023. Could he have been targeted more? Sure. Could the targets have been more ‘catchable’? Sure. But it’s not like the Bills used him merely as some kind of highly-paid decoy. He got a decent amount of balls thrown his way, relative to others, but apparently not relative to his own way of thinking. And looking back at his time in Buffalo, he was the second-most targeted WR during those years. Again, not all catchable and highly-valued targets but he was a part of the gameplan, just not as much as HE wanted to be. And that’s a problem.
The other consideration that a Buffalo sportscaster pointed out recently is that Allen was forcing the ball to Diggs on too many occasions at the beginning of last season, resulting in more turnovers. Once the new OC started mixing up the plays more and getting more players open, that issue dropped significantly. Of course, that didn’t make Diggs happy.
I’d be shocked if he gets more than 24 million a year on his next contract. He’ll be 31 years old and doesn’t have a good reputation. Houston will be even better this year but I think they’re going to regret trading for him.