Texans: Stefon Diggs ready to take over captain role in 2024 season

When Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans in April, he set several goals that he planned to accomplish.

Among them? Demonstrating his leadership through his actions in the locker room and not on the field.

Diggs, who is set to begin a new chapter with his third NFL franchise in 10 years, wanted to earn the title of team captain, which can only be achieved by being voted on by teammates.

On Tuesday, Diggs crossed the feat off his list. On Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, he’ll sport a “C” patch on his jersey when the Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts.

“I had to earn something that I wanted for myself,” Diggs told reporters Thursday afternoon. “I feel like being a captain and that level of responsibility not only holds those around you accountable, but it holds yourself accountable as well. You are who you are. You can’t run away from that.”

Diggs joins linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair as the new captain in 2024. They will join quarterback CJ Stroud, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, safety Jimmie Ward, defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and long snapper Jon Weeks, all of whom earned honors last season.

Since being drafted out of Maryland in 2015, Diggs has been a team captain for every team. He was a two-time captain with the Minnesota Vikings before being traded to the Buffalo Bills in 2020.

In Orchard Park, he was one of several offensive faces for the four-time AFC East champions.

“The last few years I’ve been a captain,” Diggs said. “I went to a new team, a new environment, new people and earned the respect of my teammates and my coaches. When I say everything, I mean everything.”

While the public perception of Diggs has been based on terms like “diva” or “primadonna,” that’s a far cry from how his teammates view him. Stroud, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, said Diggs earned the title and the respect of the roster.

Diggs said those who really know him also know that his publicly proclaimed reputation is exaggerated.

“It’s easy to get carried away by a story if you don’t do your research and it’s all based on word of mouth,” Diggs said. “It’s crazy, because I guess you have to go with the story if you don’t know me.”

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: Stefon Diggs set to take on captain persona in 2024 season