Many considered the Houston Texans to be a legitimate dark horse Super Bowl LX contender, and understandably so. They were arguably the hottest team in the NFL since late October, entering the playoffs on a nine-game win streak.
Houston looked the part of a championship-caliber club, at least defensively. However, their glaring offensive shortcomings, specifically the inconsistency of talented young quarterback C.J. Stroud, proved to be an Achilles heel. His struggles were at the forefront of the Texans' dispiriting Divisional Round loss to the eventual AFC Champion New England Patriots.
Texans fans can't help but wonder if their club would've faced the Seattle Seahawks in the Big Game with better play under center. And by the sound of it, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is ostensibly asking the same question.
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has Texans fans wondering 'what if?' with high praise of Houston's defense
Shanahan spoke highly of Houston's elite stop unit that ranked first and second in total yards and scoring allowed, respectively, in 2025. Fittingly, he put them and the Seahawks' defense in a tier of their own. His comments suggest that Houston had the makings of a title team, but were heavily weighed down by Stroud's efforts, or lack thereof.
"I think there's two Super Bowl defenses this year, and it was [the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans]," Shanahan stated (h/t Adam Wexler of SportsTalk 790). "And when I say that, it means they're capable of winning totally on their own if the other side of the ball, special teams and offense, don't mess it up."
It hardly feels like a coincidence that the Seahawks, the other squad that Shanahan mentioned, ended up hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. That's because their elite defense was supplemented with sound football in the other two phases of the game. Alas, the Texans couldn't say the same, which ultimately came back to haunt them.
Few, if any, play-callers are capable of dialing up high-scoring schemes like Shanahan. So, when he's complimentary of a shutdown group to this degree, it shouldn't be overlooked. His strong connection to Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans is also a notable talking point.
Ryans worked under Shanahan in various roles on the 49ers' staff from 2017 through 2022. Reading between the lines, it seems like the mentor may even be envious of the talent his mentee has to work with on defense.