3 free agents Texans were wise to avoid

2. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

Deal: Four-years, $48 million

Coming into the offseason, running back was a position of need for the Texans. Devin Singletary had a nice 900-yard, four touchdown season, but even that level of production doesn't exactly assure you the #1 job next season (especially in a contract year). With the amount of good running backs available this offseason, it always felt like the Texans were going to use the opportunity to improve there. And they didn't wait long, either – trading for former Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon was a prudent move, and even if you want to argue that he was about to be released, it's not like losing the 7th round pick that Houston gave up for him is going to hamstring the franchise for years to come.

Now, for the next two seasons, the Texans will get Mixon's production for under 5% of their total cap. That number balloons a bit in 2026, but there are more than a few contractual protections in place that the Texans can use to get out of the deal if it comes to that. Compare that to Jacobs, who's a year younger than Mixon but will cost over $10 million against the Packers' cap in three of the last four seasons of the deal he signed. Like all running back contracts, Jacobs' has some emergency exits that Green Bay can easily use, but it's a lot more money for a back who's had less 1,000 yard seasons than Mixon (though Mixon's played two more seasons than Jacobs, for what it's worth). It's not like the Jacobs' deal is that bad, it's just that the Texans found a creative way to avoid giving big money to a back.