Texans QB C.J. Stroud says Stefon Diggs 'got a bad rap' with Bills

C.J. Stroud wants Stefon Diggs to know that he has his back as the All-Pro wide receiver prepares to play his former team on Sunday.

The Houston Texans quarterback defended Diggs from criticism he's received since his trade from the Buffalo Bills in April, telling reporters that "it's been great" to work with the star wideout so far this season.

"I think he got a bad rap just by the media and by people," Stroud said of Diggs. "But he's been nothing but just amazing to this team and to his teammates. He's helped me out a ton. As you can see, we're clicking more and more every game. So I'm very happy for him, and I'm glad that he's finally having fun playing the game and doing what he loves to do because he loves football a lot. So, just really, really happy to be part of his journey and just being around him has been really awesome."

The Bills' breakup with Diggs didn't seem to be pleasant as some developments played out publicly. A day prior to the trade being agreed to, Diggs implied that he was essential to Bills quarterback Josh Allen's success in a social media post.

Diggs recognizes that there will be more attention brought to Sunday's game, but he's focused on controlling what he can do on the field to help the Texans win.

"Block out the noise," Diggs told reporters on Wednesday. "A lot of other people are going to feel a way or have a lot to say about X, Y, Z and I don't mind. I'm not mad at it. Just trying to go 1-0. Obviously, they're a good team. They have a lot of guys that can fly around on the defense. But they're a really good team. So I look forward to it."

In a report from ESPN on Wednesday, there wasn't a particular moment cited as the reason for the Bills' decision to trade Diggs to the Texans. However,