The Houston Texans and recently extended All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter are about to enter their third consecutive campaign together, and it has the potential to be the most fruitful of the three.
After helping spearhead a defense that went from fifth-best in 2024 to most dominant in 2025, Hunter and co. are gearing up to finally help to Texans get over the proverbial "hump" that's prematurely ended multiple previous Lombardi trophy attempts of theirs since the team's inception back in 2002. Hunter truly believes that the time for ultimate success is now for Houston.
Danielle Hunter believes the Texans have what it takes to win it all in 2026
“The biggest thing in my career, I really want to go to the final game," Hunter openly reflected, as he was speaking to the media after the second day of team mini camp. He then commented on both his responsibility as an impactful influence and confidence in the positioning of the organization by proclaiming,
"That can only happen if I pass the knowledge I know onto the team & my teammates & have that confidence to make it to the final game. We definitely got the team, group of great men, a great coach, great front office, & a lot of guys that are young & buying into the program.”
On his way to being an 11-year veteran, Hunter has more than seen his fair share of high stakes football at the NFL level. In his eight previous years with the Minnesota Vikings, Hunter has been on four playoff teams.
His squad reached the NFC Divisional round twice within those four postseason years, with the 2017 iteration in particular having made it all the way to the NFC Championship game. That would be the closest he'd come to a Super Bowl trip however, as the Vikings lost a 38-7 laugher to the eventual champions in the Philadelphia Eagles.
Since becoming a Texan in 2024, Hunter and the team have lived in the AFC playoffs. Both times, Houston's Super Bowl ambitions ended in the AFC Divisional round, with their two losses coming against the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots.
After their most recent failure, the team launched into one of the most feverishly managed offseasons in team history, with multiple key additions being made to all three phases of the football team and even the coaching staff (i.e. Jerry Schuplinski replacing Jerrod Johnson as quarterbacks coach and James Ferentz replacing Jake Moreland as tight ends coach). With those changes being made, the organization has effectively stamped this upcoming year as a "Super Bowl or bust" moment if we've ever seen one.
Danielle Hunter and the Texans both have "Super Bowl or bust" mentality
As such, Hunter understands the gravity of the situation. The clock is ticking on his career, and Houston's 25th anniversary season might be one of the final "best chances" at a ring in his eventual Hall of Fame NFL tenure. The defense has done more than its fair share of the heavy lifting in this equation, with Hunter having been one of the three biggest contributors (Pro Bowl in 2024, All-Pro in 2025, 100 total tackles and 27 sacks since 2024).
If the rest of the team truly elevates to some level of performance that mirrors the defense, Houston will have an excellent chance to find themselves at SoFi Stadium to finally play in that elusive "final game" that Hunter expounded upon.
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