As NFL training camps draw near, the Houston Texans are set to report to the Houston Methodist Training Center with more optimism and questions than ever before.
Coming off back-to-back appearances in the AFC Divisional Round, expectations are sky-high. Fans and analysts are asking: Can this finally be the year the Texans make a deep playoff run?
Some say Houston is poised to go farther than any AFC South team. Others argue they might even eclipse the Dallas Cowboys. But for many Texans supporters, bragging rights alone aren’t enough—it’s time to contend for something.
The main concern? Ensuring the safety of franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Athletic recently asked beat writers a different question -- what they don't know about their team, rather than what they do. Athletic writer Mike Jones was asked, "Will a reconfigured offensive line improve protection for C.J. Stroud?"
"After surrendering a combined 90 sacks in C.J. Stroud’s first two NFL seasons, the Texans underwent an offensive line overhaul, trading away Laremy Tunsil and acquiring veteran left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Laken Tomlinson and center Jake Andrews while also drafting rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery. Texans coaches are still doing some tinkering."
“The retool is designed to set the stage for something bigger,” The Athletic’s Mike Jones wrote, noting the Texans’ goal is another AFC South crown—and more. The Texans have reached the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs multiple times but have yet to advance to the AFC Championship Game or the Super Bowl. By the end of the 2024 season, they had made the playoffs eight times since their founding in 2002.
Training camp starts in just a few weeks for the franchise. The countdown to answers—and maybe history—is underway. The real question is, have they done enough?