The Houston Texans currently project to have one of the NFL's highest payrolls in 2026. And that's before forthcoming contract extension talks with two of their franchise cornerstones, quarterback C.J. Stroud and defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
See the problem? Things are getting expensive for the Texans. The front office has done a phenomenal job of adding talent through the draft, but they're quickly becoming a victim of their own success.
Anderson's set to earn a market-setting payday this offseason, at one of the premium positions in football, too. Stroud's situation is a bit more complicated, though he could also cash in big-time. With that in mind, the Texans need to start moving funds around accordingly.
Don't be shocked if the Texans restructure veteran contracts, namely Danielle Hunter, Tytus Howard, Nico Collins, Derek Stingley Jr., Dalton Schultz and Azeez Al-Shaair. Houston can gain approximately $72 million in cap space for the next league year with these six players alone.
Texans can save a pretty penny by moving money around
Player | $ freed up w/ restructure |
|---|---|
Danielle Hunter, DE | $15.97 million |
Tytus Howard, OL | $12.15 million |
Nico Collins, WR | $14.27 million |
Derek Stingley Jr., CB | $15.28 million |
Dalton Schultz, TE | $7.27 million |
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB | $7.27 million |
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, none of these guys is going anywhere. Schultz has come up as a potential cap casualty, though the Texans can save nearly as much while leaving behind no dead money by reworking his deal. Nevertheless, he, Hunter, Howard, Collins, Stingley and Al-Shaair are all key pieces of a Texans core that was two wins away from reaching Super Bowl LX.
Trading or cutting Schultz with a post-June 1 designation creates $11.5 million in cap savings and a roughly $4.5 million sunk cost. However, he's become a security blanket for Stroud over the past three seasons, leading the club in receptions in 2025 (82). With Schultz slated for unrestricted free agency in 2027, the Texans may just be better off letting his pact expire.
Hunter and Anderson have formed arguably the best bookend pass-rushing tandem in the league since joining forces in 2024. The former has already secured his bag with over $150 million in career earnings, but renegotiating helps the latter break the bank. Sacrifices must be made for them to continue wreaking havoc together at an extremely high level, and in this case, it's future flexibility.
Houston is built to win now. They've reached the AFC Divisional Round in three consecutive campaigns but have failed to get over the hump. This is the time to push their chips to the center of the table for 2026.