The Texans Revenge Tour? Inside Houston’s 2026 Bounce-Back Bid
The Houston Texans are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign. Coming into 2025, all the pieces seemed to be in place as the Texans showcased their defensive talent. After a tumultuous 0-3 start, Houston turned it around, finishing the regular season with a 12-5 finish and a nine-game win streak. Then their star quarterback fell apart in the Divisional Round. Heading into 2026, the Texans face some very important questions. The biggest question of them all is, can they really turn it around?
Expectations and Reality
The question of whether they can turn it around? It is not an indication that the team is bad. In fact, the 2025 team was the best team Houston has had in several years. The Texans have also made the playoffs three years in a row, not just made it, but also won three playoff games. Some teams haven’t won a playoff game in over a decade. By all accounts, Houston is in a great spot to be in, so why is there so much doubt in Houston?
One of the largest concerns is the timeline. Two of the Texans' biggest stars are still on rookie contracts. The two players who turned the franchise around are Will Anderson and CJ Stroud. The second- and third-overall picks from 2023, both players, just had their fifth-year extensions picked up. As their contracts near the end, both players will command a high price. Anderson alone has the potential to reset the market at defensive end or at least command what the top players in his position are getting. Stroud is in another issue entirely. After lighting it up in his rookie season, the elite field general has taken a step back in the two seasons since. It is hard to find a starting quarterback in the NFL, so much so that teams will always take shots on washed-up veterans. The former Buckeye will need to perform in 2026 to secure a contract on par with the best players at quarterback.
Besides the upcoming sticky financials, the current team that Houston has assembled is elite. Each year that a team doesn’t reach its potential is another year lost. Players are under a time limit, especially in a sport like football. The human body can only take so much violent trauma. Every snap comes with the potential for a season-ending injury. There is no guarantee that Houston will ever be able to assemble a squad as good as the one they have right now. These two timelines have exerted extreme pressure on the Texans, raising expectations to the sky.
An All-Time Defense
The 2025 Texans defense was one of the best squads assembled in the modern NFL. The defense was loaded, and their stats backed up their production. Houston allowed the fewest yards per game, 277. Teams only averaged 17.4 points against the Texans. To further add to their already impressive stats, they allowed only 20 touchdowns, recorded 47 sacks, 133 quarterback pressures, 19 interceptions, and 29 total turnovers. From top to bottom, the defense had stars at every position. To complete the elite pass rush is Danielle Hunter. Together, Hunter and Anderson combined for 27 of the Texans' 47 sacks.
Aside from their All-Pro defensive end Anderson and Hunter, Houston has the third overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft, Derek Stingley. Stingley is a lockdown defender whom offenses fear throwing to, and he is also a recent All-Pro. Completing their dominance in the secondary are Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter, and Calen Bullock. Houston drafted all four players, and together they are a no-fly zone. Whether they are locking down receivers, stuffing the run, or delivering hard hits, they are everywhere. The defense alone was winning games when the offense couldn’t move the ball.
The Fall of Shroud and the Texans Offense
Stroud’s rookie season was one of hope. One year after their disastrous 2022 season, the precision pocket surgeon led the team back to the playoffs. He even won his first playoff appearance. Unfortunately, for reasons not immediately obvious, Houston's offense began to slump just one year after Stroud’s historic rookie season. His game woes continued into 2025, where he infamously fell apart in the Divisional Round. Against the eventual AFC Champion Patriots, the young quarterback played the worst game of his career. Finishing with a horrific 42% completion rate and even worse, he threw four interceptions in the first half. Whatever goodwill Stroud had garnered in Houston was quickly on thin ice. Before long, the Texans will have to decide whether he is worth starting quarterback money.
Stroud is just one factor in the Texans’ offense's downfall. While a large factor, the offense struggles to keep its quarterback safe and to scheme open looks. To make matters worse, starting running back Joe Mixon ended up missing the season with an undisclosed injury. Their star quarterback was sacked 23 times and pressured 154 times. Clearly, the line needs some work.
It is not entirely the offensive line’s fault, but it is a significant factor in the lack of offensive production. Houston was one of the league’s worst rushing teams. Only averaging 108 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry. Without Mixon and a competent line, the offense floundered. The modern NFL relies on the run and pass games working in tandem to open each other up. If one fails, then the other will also fail. The Texans' passing game did fare much better. Averaging 218 passing yards per game and six passing yards per play. Still, the lack of a run game hurt Houston from taking advantage of what the passing game could open up.
How Does a Team Improve from Success?
The answer here is simple: make it over the hump. For the Texans to make the run they are capable of, Stroud first needs to step up big time. Restoring the quarterback’s confidence is essential to a deep playoff run. The defense is so good that the offense needs only to score more than 17 points to secure a victory. The addition of former Lions running back David Montgomery should be a step in the right direction. Establishing the run game is a crucial step for Houston. Being able to keep their offense on the field to drain the clock and give their defense a rest is a necessity. The pieces are in place once again, but it all comes down to whether they can pull them all together.
