When we talk about tortured modern banbases in the NFL, several names pop to mind. The Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Chargers, and even the Las Vegas Raiders all have a gripe to make to the football gods. So do the Maimi Dolphins if we're being fair.
Yet, when we talk about franchises that have suffered, however, no one ever mentions the Houston Texans. Good Morning Football just posted a video from a recent show, where they talk about fanbases who have suffered. The Browns, Bills, Vikings, and Dolphins all get a shout-out.
Why not the Texans?
Which 'tortured' fan base is most deserving of a Super Bowl win? 🏆🤔@TheRokuChannel pic.twitter.com/vvSNXWJZtk
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) August 30, 2024
Let's start from the beginning, in back-to-back drafts (expansion and amateur), the Texans missed on their first pick. They selected Tony Boselli to play left tackle, and he never suited up for an NFL team after 2001. A future Hall of Famer, forced to retire. They followed that up with Derek Carr. Not a terrible quarterback, but he certainly didn't lead the team to success.
While the Browns have a chokehold on quarterback carousels, the Texans aren't exactly unknown in that area. They've rotated through quite a few names, and while they've had a few Pro Bowlers, they haven't always had the best success there. Now, they're being relocated like the Chargers and Raiders, but they've struggled. At least they're not known for choking away playoff wins, right Vikings fans?
That's because the Texans aren't exactly a reliable playoff team. In fact, in only five of 22 seasons the Texans won 10 games. They've never won more than 12 in a season and only did that once. They have 11 losing seasons, and 13 non-winning seasons.
The fandom has struggled, they've suffered and they've stuck around. Considering how hard it is to get fans to show up to an expansion team, regardless of where you put it up, for the Texans' fandom to continue to show up every season is admirable.
While I do agree with the notion that they aren't the most tortured fandom, the Browns, Bills, and Vikings have a nice claim on that one, I do agree that the Texans' fandom deserves to have their pain mentioned and respected.