As the Houston Texans embarked on the start of the 2025 offseason, job number one turned out to be rebuilding an offensive line that failed CJ Stroud during the 2024 season. Stroud was the second-most sacked quarterback in the NFL during his sophomore campaign, and in order to prevent another David Carr situation from unfolding, wholesale changes needed to be made to the group that is tasked with protecting Stroud on somewhere between 25 and 45 dropbacks each game.
Houston's plan to bring four new starters into the fold was met with a healthy amount of skepticism, with naysayers questioning the team's willingness to sacrifice continuity across a unit that greatly benefits from it. But naysayers be damned, the bet paid off, and at season's end, Houston had surrendered 23 fewer sacks than they did during the 2024 season.
Pinning this turnaround on one single individual would be a mistake, but if we're carving up slices of credit pie for all parties involved, then perhaps the biggest slice of pie should be bestowed upon right guard Ed Ingram, who was acquired by the Texans for the price of a 7th round pick and ended the 2025 season as one of the steadiest interior offensive linemen in the National Football League. Ingram allowed the 12th lowest pressure rate (6.4) among guards with at least 400 pass block snaps, and he did so for the very tolerable price of just $3.4 million on the final year of his rookie deal.
Unfortunately for the Texans, Ed Ingram is about to get more expensive. and that means Houston needs to decide if making that financial commitment to keep him in town for the foreseeable future. Given how well Ingram performed, it would appear to be a no-brainer, but with a handful of big financial commitments coming up, the Texans need to be smart about how they'll divvy up their available cap.
But even with possible extensions for the likes of Will Anderson Jr., CJ Stroud, Kamari Lassiter, and Calen Bullock coming up in the next couple of years, the thought around the league is that Houston won't sacrifice the strides the offensive line made in 2025, and Ingram can be expected to return.
The Texans overhauled their offensive line last offseason, and Ingram, who was a disappointment in Minnesota, has performed well while making $3.4 million on the final year of his rookie contract," writes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "It would obviously cost more than that to re-sign him, but it's unlikely he'll command a top-of-market guard deal. As Houston looks for offensive line stability, it makes sense for the club to bring him back."
During the season, Ingram spoke highly of the organizaton that took a chance on him, saying, "I feel like being here is like the new start that I needed. I feel like I’m respected here and I’m valued as a player and I just love this team."
Assuming the Texans make an offer to Ingram that is even in the ballpark of what he's receiving from other teams around the NFL that need a boost along the interior of the offensive line, it would be a surprise if his stint in Houston was limited to just one season.