Who are the “Best of the Best” for the Houston Texans from 2010-19 as the decade nears a close?
Just before the end of an incredibly memorable, eventful and roller coaster decade that was the 2010s, I wanted to look back and see who made the biggest impact on the Houston Texans.
While it was only the second decade of existence for the Texans, the franchise experienced significantly more winning seasons than in years past, and had much more star power. Not including upcoming games this season, the team finished above .500 at a record of 82-77 and 3-5 in the playoffs.
The Texans have never advanced past the Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs, but the team is currently positioned as the No. 4 seed this year and is ready to make a run. With that being said, who were the 10 most important Texans since 2010?
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First, you have to consider that over the course of 10 years there have been so many talented players that don’t fit into the Top 10.
The criteria for making this list are based on years with the team, elite level of play when on the field, and impact on the overall success of the team. Someone who has played only a few seasons or had numerous injury-shortened years would have to play lights out to have more of an impact than someone who had been a mainstay on the roster for years.
That being said, there are some entrants with only a couple years of experience because of their stellar play, and there are some legendary Texans who did not make the cut because their prime was seen before the start of the 2010 seasons.
Let’s kick off the list by seeing who were the Top 5 Texans to not make the list, then jump into the Top 10.
Honorable Mentions
• Antonio Smith (2010-13, 2016): 76 games played, 23 sacks, 127 tackles, 32 TFLs
The Ninja Assassin was a fan favorite for his sacks celebrations and clutch play in big-time moments, but he wasn’t exactly a staple of the defense. He cemented the defensive line next to J.J. Watt for years and had a small stint back with the team in 2016.
• Owen Daniels (2010-2013): 46 games played, 178 catches, 2116 yards, 14 TD
In terms of all-time franchise players, Daniels is the unquestioned best tight end in team history, but saw most of his production between 2006 and 2012. He helped ease the transition from the David Carr era to the Matt Schaub years and was consistent until injuries started to decimate his longevity.
• Chris Myers (2010-2014): 80 games played/started, 2 Pro Bowls
Once one of the best offensive linemen in the league, Myers was named a Pro Football Writers of America All-AFC player in 2012. His zone-blocking helped anchor the Texans offensive line that only needed one center for the first 5 years of the decade.
• Jadeveon Clowney (2014-2018): 62 games played, 29 sacks, 205 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 2 TDs
When healthy (and motivated), Clowney was one of the most electric players in the entire NFL. Unfortunately, injuries robbed him of most of his rookie year, but the former No. 1 overall pick was a highlight machine from 2016-2018. He may have disappeared at times, but made his presence felt as a hybrid pass rusher.
• Matt Schaub (2010-2013): 52 games played, 71 TDs, 44 INTs, 13,167 yards, 62.5 percent accuracy
Schaub was legendary in the same way that Jameis Winston entertains us all and that is he would lead the league in passing yards then go on to set the record for most consecutive games with a pick-six (four). Schaub is the all-time franchise leader in almost every passing category, and led the team to two of their best seasons ever in 2011-2012.
However, Schaub did miss half of the 2011 season with a Lisfranc injury and was benched after a disastrous 2013 year that led to the team having the worst record in the league. Never elite but always competitive, Schaub encapsulated the Texans’ early years with his inconsistent play this decade.
Next here are the Top 10 Texans of the 2010s.
10. Deshaun Watson
(2017-2019): 38 games played, 9716 yards passing/1233 rushing, 86 total TDs, 29 INTs, 7 fumbles, 66.8% accuracy.
By far the youngest player to crack this list, Deshaun Watson’s enigmatic first three years in the NFL have been nothing short of legendary. He may not have playoff wins or a Rookie of the Year award, but he has completely transformed the direction of the franchise ever since being drafted 12th overall in 2017.
He was included over Schaub and others partially because of recency bias, but he is also the first true franchise quarterback the team can truly rally around. His injury-shortened 2017 season was on a fringe MVP level, at 19 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, and his return from ACL has been awe inspiring.
One of the most dynamic young quarterbacks in the league, Watson has played well enough to be considered a Top 5 player at his position. Watson’s lone playoff appearance against the Indianapolis Colts did not inspire much confidence, but every player experiences some bumps along the road at some point.
The success of the Houston Texans is predicated around helping Deshaun Watson stay upright in the pocket and letting him create plays on the fly, which is why the team has secured its second consecutive AFC South title.
9. Kareem Jackson
(2010-2018): 132 games played, 16 interceptions, 3 TDs, 559 tackles, 2 sacks, 22 TFLs, 88 passes defended
The statistics speak for themselves for Kareem Jackson. As one of the longest-tenured Texans throughout the decade, Jackson experienced dramatic highs-and-lows since he was drafted in the first round out of Alabama in 2010. Heavily picked on early in his career due to his penchant for allowing big plays, Jackson grew tremendously over the course of the next few years. Though he never made a Pro Bowl, Jackson was a consistent starter for nine years and actually started 94 percent of the games he played in.
Jackson experienced many different eras of Texans football, including the first playoff appearances in franchise history and two seasons that resulted in a combined six wins. However, Jackson ultimately left the team in 2019 to play with the Denver Broncos.
Prior to that move, Jackson was supposed to change positions to safety and ended up in more of a hybrid role, which saw him play his best football in years. Only two years before he was benched in favor of Kevin Johnson (laughable in retrospect), yet Jackson stayed humble and played his most memorable years towards the end of his time in Houston. He made sure to remind the Texans of their loss by scoring a 70-yard touchdown against them in Week 14 this season.
8. Whitney Mercilus
(2012-2019): 114 games played, 50 sacks, 211 tackles, 63 TFLs, 13 forced fumbles, 2 INTs
From the day he was drafted in the first round out of Illinois in 2012, this stud OLB — Whitney Mercilus — has backed up his namesake with merciless pass rushing for eight seasons. Though he has never been the star of the defensive group due to other star players playing beside him, Mercilus has been as consistent as anyone not named J.J. Watt.
This season has seen Mercilus take more of a leadership role after key injuries have taken other stars off the field, and he has responded admirably. His first two career interceptions have both come on the goal line in critical moments, adding on to his 6.5 sacks on the season. His total of 50 sacks is third in Houston Texans history, only behind Watt and Mario Williams.
The premier pass rusher has started 88 games in his career and only missed time in 2017 when he tore his pectoral muscle five games into the season. Otherwise, he has been the image of consistency as mostly a secondary sack artist and played his role perfectly.
Mercilus has never been named to a Pro Bowl, but was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 2 of the 2019 season.
7. Brian Cushing
(2010-2017): 88 games played, 541 tackles, 30 TFLs, 9.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 4 INTs, 1 TD, 20 passes defended
One of the most intense linebackers in recent memory, Brian Cushing was always a fan favorite because of his pure love of the game. Outside of his actual play, he is best remembered for headbutting a Cleveland Browns player after taking his own helmet off.
Cushing was also immortalized by his NFL Mic’d Up game where he asked Arian Foster if he thought about writing poetry while running on the field. On the gridiron, Cushing was one of the strongest players due to his unbelievable strength and conditioning training.
One of his best plays came on a wild pick-six of Phillip Rivers on Monday Night Football to open up the 2013 season, just before the team lost 14 games in a row. His best season actually came in 2009 where he won Defensive Rookie of the Year, but his legendary status as a Texan this decade is not in question.
Cushing is currently the strength coach for the team, and his years of a dominating ball hawk are definitely missed. He did miss significant time with injuries throughout his career, ultimately leading to his release in 2018. He is the all-time leader in tackles for Houston.
6. Jonathan Joseph
(2011-2019): 132 games played, 17 INTs, 4 TDs, 482 tackles, 8 TFLs, 5 forced fumbles, 82 passes defended
One of the most impactful free agent signings in Texans history, Jonathan Joseph is actually the NFL’s all-time leader in passes defended (195). He has been a two-time Pro Bowler and was named a 2nd team All-Pro in 2011.
Joseph’s place as one of the best cornerbacks of this decade in all of the NFL should not be questioned, though he’s never mentioned among players like Darrelle Revis or Richard Sherman. He’s been one of the most consistent playmakers since he was drafted in 2006 and is likely the best defensive back to have ever played for the Texans.
With seven touchdowns in his career and four as a Texan, Joseph has delivered some memorable pick-sixes at crucial times. There was a 52-yard score off a Joe Flacco pick, a 60-yard TD after an Andy Dalton interception, an 82-yard runback against the Browns, and most notably a game-winning 28-yard return against Nathan Peterman.
To this day, Joseph is still performing at an exceptional well level considering he is 35 years old and usually playing against elite wide receivers.
5. Andre Johnson
(2010-2014): 67 games played, 425 catches, 5649 yards, 22 TDs
Andre Johnson is the greatest Texans of all time.
Johnson is one of, if not the best receiver in the league for most of the 2000s, a man of very few words, but winner of every fight he was challenged to on the field. The impact that Johnson had on the Houston Texans franchise cannot be understated, as he was the first franchise player in team history.
Drafted third overall in 2003, Johnson was never one to score double-digit touchdowns in a season, but led the league in receiving yards numerous times. His prime years were definitely between 2004 and 2009, but his importance as a role model loomed just as large.
Without Andre, DeAndre Hopkins would not be the player that he is today. Some of his more memorable moments include beating down CB Cortland Finnegan and getting a standing ovation as he was ejected, and scoring a walk-off 48-yard touchdown in a 273-yard performance.
When Johnson finally advanced to the playoffs for the first time in 2011-12, he capitalized with a 40-yard reception for a score from T.J. Yates. Through every up and down quarterback situation he experienced, Johnson was the perfect Texan you could have asked for.
4. Duane Brown
(2010-2017): 101 games played, 4-time Pro Bowler, 1st Team All-Pro
While Andre Johnson was widely regarded as one of the best premier playmakers at his position throughout the entirety of his Texan tenure, another costar often went unmentioned.
Offensive linemen rarely get the respect they deserve for plowing through the trenches every single snap, and Duane Brown was the epitome of an all-time bookend left tackle.
Brown was drafted No. 26 overall out of Virginia Tech in 2008, and he quickly skyrocketed to become one of the best left tackles in all of football. The Texans have historically fallen victim to extreme sack numbers coming from opposing defenses, which is why having a 6-4, 315-pound behemoth protecting your QB is more valuable than most people realize.
In eight years with the Texans, Brown only had six holding penalties, which current left tackle Laremy Tunsil has already eclipsed this season.
At one point between 2015-2016, Brown went multiple seasons without allowing a sack coming from the left side, which is even more impressive considering the quarterback like Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett and Brock Osweiler that were trotted out.
Though Brown did not leave the team in the most pleasant of circumstances, Brown still remains one of the most highly regarded offensive linemen in both recent NFL and Texans history.
3. Arian Foster
(2010-2015): 70 games played, 1400 rushes, 6215 rushing yards, 241 catches, 2175 receiving yards, 65 total TDs, 4.45 yards per carry
Undrafted out of Tennessee in 2009, Arian Foster burst onto the season in a 2010 game against the Peyton Manning-led Colts with 231 yards and three TDs. From that point on, the Texans had one of the most swift and patient running backs in the league, rewarding them with a rushing title that same season.
Detractors might argue that injuries robbed him of his reliability, but when he was on the field he completely transformed the offenses game plan. Both a dominant outside runner and a savvy receiving threat out of the backfield, Foster ran behind Duane Brown for his entire Texans career and was a bonafide superstar.
Off-the-field, Foster has become a man of numerous trades, including writing poetry, finding success as a rapper under the name Bobby Feeno, shortly becoming an advocate for Veganism, and participating in various small projects as an actor.
Once dubbed the most interesting man in the NFL, Foster was the catalyst for the peak Texans offense of the early 2010s. The combination of Foster, Andre Johnson, and Matt Schaub were the glory days of the play-action rollout offense, only made possible by the constant threat of having Foster on the field.
2. DeAndre Hopkins
(2013-2019): 110 games played, 632 receptions, 8602 receiving yards, 54 receiving TDs, 13.6 yards per catch, 1 passing TD
DeAndre Hopkins was drafted in the first round out of Clemson in 2013, and the Houston Texans offense hasn’t been the same since. Having produced some of the most eye-popping catches in recent history, Hopkins is widely regarded as a Top 3 receiver in the NFL and has the stats to back up that claim.
In 2017 he led the league in TDs with 13 and set a personal high in 2018 with 1572 yards. His WR1 status constantly demands attention from multiple defenders and usually opens up the rest of the field for deep passes. Some of his most miraculous plays sadly didn’t count due to penalties, but have still been shown on replays years later, including one-handed downfield snags against the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.
The most impressive part about Hopkins’ early career was that he was torching secondaries while catching passes from Matt Schaub, Case Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Savage, and others during the QB carousel years.
It might take a couple more years of utter dominance for No. 10 to surpass Andre Johnson as the best receiver in Texans history, but he learned quite a bit under AJ’s tutelage in 2013-14. His chemistry with Deshaun Watson is unparalleled in the NFL, and the Clemson dynamic duo is likely to continue breaking records for years to come.
1. J.J. Watt
(2011-2019): 112 games played, 96 sacks, 479 tackles, 158 TFLs, 54 passes defended, 23 forced fumbles, 15 fumble recoveries, 1 INT, 2 defensive TDs, 3 receiving TDs
If J.J. Watt retired today, he would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer without a doubt. He boasts one of the most impressive resumes in defensive history, including three Defensive Player of the Year awards in his first five seasons and having multiple 20-plus sack seasons.
Watt’s first moment of stardom occurred in the Texans’ first-ever playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals in his 2011 rookie season. Watt intercepted Andy Dalton’s pass and ran it back for a score, demonstrating the super athletic ability this 6-5, 290-pound monster truly possessed. The following year, he was dubbed “JJ Swat” due to his tremendous ability to time his jumps and bat down passes as a defensive lineman.
His 2014 season doesn’t even sound humanly possible, but he scored five touchdowns as both a turnover machine and a jumbo tight end on offense. Watt’s 80-yard pick-six against the Buffalo Bills sealed the win, his 45-yard scoop and score off Andrew Luck was remarkable, and his three touchdown receptions absolutely should have been enough for him to be named MVP that season.
Off-the-field, Watt has been instrumental in helping to rebuild Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. He helped to raise $37 million in donations for the city and was named Walter Payton Man of the Year for his charitable efforts.
Unfortunately, injuries have taken a toll on the legendary Texan, but he currently slated to return off of IR for the upcoming playoff game. Watt is not only the best Texan of the decade, he is likely to go down as the best player in the franchise history.