Leading up to kickoff of the 2026 NFL season, TeamFB7 went in-depth on each team from its strengths and weaknesses to breakout players, intriguing rookies and overall predictions. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the Houston Texans.
This isn’t a 2000 Baltimore Ravens or 2006 Chicago Bears type of situation.
The Houston Texans aren’t trotting out Trent Dilfer or Rex Grossman at quarterback and hoping it won’t matter because their elite defense might get them to the Super Bowl regardless.
But the Texans certainly are hoping quarterback C.J. Stroud levels up in 2026 and becomes more of a postseason asset and not liability like last season.
It doesn’t need to be belabored in depth at this point — anyone taking time to read a Houston Texas season breakout and predictions piece knows what happened in January. Stroud threw an interception and fumbled 5 times (losing 2 of them) in a wildcard round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and then threw 4 picks in a divisional round loss to the New England Patriots.
It was a low point for a talented QB who won Offensive Rookie of the Year his first season and simply yet to take the next step from there, while dealing with a bad offensive line, limited rushing attack and key injuries to his top receivers.
The Texans sought to address those matters over the offseason, investing draft capital and free agent money in the offensive line, acquiring veteran running back David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions and making a late trade with the Patriots last month for wide receiver Kayshon Boutte after losing Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL in the preseason.
All the while, the Texans stifling defense — which gave up the fewest yards (277.2/game) and second-fewest points (17.4/game) last season — only got deeper for 2026.
The Texans won 10 straight games to close last season and on through the wildcard round and should be on the short list of logical Super Bowl contenders for 2026, but there’s no getting around the fact that does still hinge greatly on Stroud and what he’s able to do this year.
Houston Texans Reset
2025 Finish: 12-5, lost 28-16 to Patriots in divisional round
Head Coach: DeMeco Ryans, fourth season (32-19, 3-3 playoffs)
Hot Seat Meter (0-10): 0
Offensive Coordinator: Nick Caley, second season
Defensive Coordinator: Matt Burke, fourth season
Best Offseason Move: Trading for RB David Montgomery
We wouldn’t regard Montgomery as a top 10 or maybe even top 20 NFL running back, but the Texans had a desperate need and Montgomery is a known commodity who upgrades their razor-thin backfield.
The 29-year-old is looking to show he can be a RB1 again after working behind star Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit the last two seasons, rushing for 1,491 yards and 20 TDs over that span. Montgomery has two career 1,000-yard rushing seasons — with the Bears in 2020 and in his first season with the Lions in 2023.
He’ll get plenty of opportunity on this Texans team with second-year back Woody Marks working in behind him.
Montgomery averaged just 3.0 YPC in his Texans debut on Sunday vs. the Bills, but he had 2 rushing TDs and a receiving score.
Worst Offseason Move: Signing OG Wyatt Teller for two years, $16 million
It’s great that the Texans opened the check book to upgrade the offensive line, but perhaps signing a player away that another team was fine to see go while trying to upgrade its own O-line wasn’t the answer.
PFF graded Wyatt Teller middle-of-the-pack among offensive guards last season for his work with the Cleveland Browns, and earlier in his career he was a three-time Pro Bowl and two-time second-team All-Pro (2020-21), but he got beat out for the starting left guard job in Houston by rookie Keylan Rutledge.
So the Texans are paying quite a bit for a backup lineman, which is nice depth to have but certainly wasn’t the expectation when they signed him.
Houston’s two big free agent swings on offensive line upgrades were right tackle Braden Smith (two years, $20 million), who is opening the season on injured reserve due to a plantar fascia injury in his foot, and Teller.
Houston Texans Roster Breakdown
Biggest Strength(s): Edge rusher and secondary
This Texans defense is so well-built with top-tier talent all over the field, but especially on the edges and in the defensive backfield.
Will Anderson finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his third NFL season while posting 12 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, between 85-93 total pressures depending on source (NFL NextGen Stats or PFF, either way ranking among the top 3 players in the league) and 3 forced fumbles. Anderson parlayed that into a three-year, $150-million contract extension that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.
Meanwhile, on the other side is veteran second-team All-Pro Danielle Hunter, who had 15 sacks last year and has 114.5 over 10 seasons.
There is no better pass-rushing tandem in the NFL.
And then the secondary is just loaded with safeties Calen Bullock (9 INTs and 21 PDs in two seasons, Pro Bowl in 2025) and free agent addition Reed Blankenship (83 tackles, INT, FF for Eagles last year), cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. (14 INTs, 46 PDs over last three seasons, back-to-back first-team All-Pro honors) and Kamari Lassiter (91 tackles, 7 TFLs, 4 INTs, 17 PDs last year with a Pro Bowl nod) with nickel Jalen Pitre rounding out the group.
The interior of the defensive line (led by 11-year veteran Sheldon Rankins) and linebackers — with 2025 Pro Bowl pick Azeez Al-Shaair (103 tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PDs) and Henry To’oTo’o (95 tackles, 9 TFL, 4 PDs) — are solid too.
It’s truly an elite defense in every sense of the word.
Biggest Weakness: Offensive line
Granted, the Texans tried to upgrade the unit and it may well be better. But with the biggest acquisition Smith on injured reserve to open the season and 33-year Trent Brown filling in at right tackle, and with Teller starting the season as a reserve with Rutledge winning the left guard job and well-traveled free agent Evan Brown taking over at center (rather than Rutledge at center and Teller at left guard as was another option), it’s hard to say the unit is that much improved.
Left tackle Aireontae Ersery and right guard Ed Ingram are holdovers, meanwhile.
PFF slotted the Texans 31st in its preseason offensive line rankings in light of the injury to Smith.
Most Intriguing Rookie: Left guard Keylan Rutledge
The Texans traded to move up two spots in the draft and take Rutledge, a third-team AP All-American from Georgia Tech. There was some thought he might be the team’s long-term solution at center, but instead he’ll open as the starting left guard.
Breakout Player: RB Woody Marks
Marks got a lot of run as a fourth-round rookie last season, totaling 703 rushing yards, 208 receiving yards and 5 total TDs while receiving at least 15 carries in six games.
He’s going to be operating behind Montgomery this season, but the veteran hasn’t had 200 carries in a season since 2023.
Marks got 9 carries for 42 yards in the opener and is a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield, so we’ll bet he finds his way into a decent role in this offense and outperforms his rookie numbers in the end.
MVP Pick: EDGE Will Anderson and WR Nico Collins
The defense is going to take the Texans to whatever heights they reach this season, and Anderson is face of that unit. Defensive players don’t really win MVP awards, but he can be the team MVP and favorite for DPOY if he continues his ascent.
Offensively, the Texans passing attack — and Stroud’s development/confidence — needs a big season from Nico Collins, who has three straight 1,000-yard seasons but has yet to play more than 15 games in any of his five years in the NFL.
2026 Houston Texans Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| Week 1, Sept. 13 | vs. Buffalo Bills | 1 p.m. |
| Week 2, Sept. 20 | vs. Cincinnati Bengals | 1 p.m. |
| Week 3, Sept. 27 | at Indianapolis Colts | 1 p.m. |
| Week 4, Oct. 4 | vs. Dallas Cowboys | 1 p.m. |
| Week 5, Oct. 11 | at Tennessee Titans | 1 p.m. |
| Week 6, Oct. 18 (in London, England) | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | 9:30 a.m. |
| Week 7, Oct. 25 | vs. New York Giants | 1 p.m. |
| Week 8 | BYE WEEK | |
| Week 9, Nov. 8 | at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:05 p.m. |
| Week 10, Nov. 15 | at Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. |
| Week 11, Nov. 19 (Thursday) | vs. Indianapolis Colts | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 12, Nov. 29 | vs. Baltimore Ravens | 1 p.m. |
| Week 13, Dec. 6 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | 8:20 p.m. |
| Week 14, Dec. 13 | at Washington Commanders | 1 p.m. |
| Week 15, Dec. 20 | vs. Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 p.m. |
| Week 16, Dec. 24 (Thursday) | at Philadelphia Eagles | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 17, Jan. 4 (Monday) | at Green Bay Packers | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 18, TBD (Flex Game) | vs. Tennessee Titans | TBD |
Houston Texans Season Prediction And Parting Thoughts
Season Prediction: 13-4
The Seattle Seahawks rode an elite defense and solid offense to a Super Bowl title last year.
The Texans’ defense is every bit as good as that one, though the offense is not quite there. It could be better in 2026, though, if the line stabilizes a bit, Stroud finds his comfort zone, Montgomery stays healthy to lead the rushing attack and Collins puts together a career year at wide receiver.
The potential is there for the Texans to be in the Super Bowl mix in the end.
