Houston Texans

Houston has $29.2M in room today but carries a league-sixth-worst $60.8M in dead money and faces a projected negative cap position of $23.4M next season, so every dollar spent now must be deliberate.

24 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Three starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Six picks this year including first-round selections in rounds one through four, plus three first-rounders across the next three cycles and 20 total picks over that span, give Houston genuine rebuild-and-compete resources despite the cap crunch.

• Acquired: Round 6 from Browns, this draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Patriots, this draft
• Acquired: Round 7 from Saints, next draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Patriots, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Browns, this draft
• Traded away: Round 5 to Browns, this draft
• Traded away: Round 6 to Saints, next draft

The roster's clearest strength is its pass-rush and cornerback talent on defense, while left tackle is the most glaring weak spot, with the starter ranking 30th in the league at the position.

• LThigh

  Trent Brown, a twilight-stage veteran, starts at left tackle where the Texans rank 30th at the position among starters, making an upgrade here the single most urgent offensive priority.

• DTmedium

  Sheldon Rankins headlines a defensive tackle group that ranks 24th among starters and 18th in depth, leaving the interior run defense exposed.

• HBmedium

  David Montgomery starts but the backfield ranks 25th among starters, and the depth behind him includes Dare Ogunbowale as the third back, a spot worth addressing.

• WILLmedium

  Henry To'oTo'o holds the WILL linebacker job, but Houston ranks 23rd at the starter level and a troubling 31st in depth, making this a significant personnel gap.

• Clow

  Evan Brown starts at center with Jake Andrews behind him, ranking 22nd among starters, though the overall depth ranks 4th, limiting the urgency somewhat.

• LGlow

  Keylan Rutledge starts at left guard with Wyatt Teller backing him up, and while the starter ranks 22nd the unit boasts the top depth grade in the league.

• 66Davis MillsQBReleasing Davis Mills frees $6.0M against $2.0M in dead money, a net gain that is easy to absorb given that he is the second-string quarterback behind C.J. Stroud with no path to starting.Frees $6.0M · $2.0M dead
• 68Tremon SmithCBTremon Smith is a 30-overall twilight cornerback who contributes mainly on return units, and cutting him frees $2.5M against just $1.0M in dead money.Frees $2.5M · $1.0M dead
• 71Jake AndrewsCJake Andrews is the second-string center behind Evan Brown, and releasing him carries zero dead money while freeing $3.7M that can be redirected to higher-priority needs.Frees $3.7M · $0 dead
• 73Xavier HutchinsonWRXavier Hutchinson sits outside the active receiver rotation and cutting him frees $3.7M against a negligible $40K in dead money.Frees $3.7M · $40.0K dead
• 64Jake HansenMIKEJake Hansen is the third-string MIKE linebacker at only 64 overall, and cutting him frees $1.6M against $640K in dead money, a modest but clean cap gain.Frees $1.6M · $640.0K dead

Houston's ceiling is set by its defense, where Will Anderson Jr and Derek Stingley Jr form a franchise-level duo in their mid-twenties, and Kamari Lassiter at 23 is already an 86-overall cornerback with a bright development arc ahead. The offense runs through C.J. Stroud, a 24-year-old Star-trait quarterback who has the weapons in Nico Collins and Tank Dell to push this team into playoff contention, but his protection depends on resolving the left tackle crisis, where Trent Brown is deep into his career and Aireontae Ersery at 73 overall is the only internal alternative with upside. Danielle Hunter remains a force opposite Anderson but is entering the later stage of his career, so succession planning at right edge is a genuine medium-term task. Dalton Schultz similarly gives Stroud a proven target at tight end today, though the position will need a longer-term answer in the coming years. The cap picture adds complexity: $29.2M in current room is workable, but $60.8M in dead money and a projected negative cap position next season demand that every contract decision be deliberate. With six picks this year including three first-rounders spread across the next three draft cycles, the Texans have enough resources to compete now and restock simultaneously, making this a franchise that rewards smart, patient management.

The Houston Texans were awarded to Houston businessman Bob McNair on October 6, 1999 for a then-record $700 million expansion fee, restoring pro football to a city that lost the Oilers to Tennessee in 1997. They began play in 2002 under head coach Dom Capers, drafting QB David Carr first overall, and beat the Dallas Cowboys 19-10 in their debut, the first expansion team to win its opener since the 1961 Vikings. Early years were rough, but the franchise turned in the 2010s: native Houstonian Gary Kubiak (2006-2013) built a balanced roster around Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, and after drafting J.J. Watt 11th overall in 2011 and hiring Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator, Houston won its first AFC South title in 2011 and first playoff game (31-10 over Cincinnati), repeating as champs in 2012. Under Bill O'Brien (2014-2020) they added four more division titles but never advanced past the divisional round. After a rebuild under David Culley (2021) and Lovie Smith (2022), the hiring of DeMeco Ryans and drafting of C.J. Stroud in 2023 sparked a fast turnaround with division titles in 2023 and 2024 and a wild-card berth in 2025. The Texans have won eight AFC South titles but have never reached a conference championship game or Super Bowl, the only franchise never to appear in a conference title game. In the 2025 playoffs, Houston won its first-ever road playoff game, 30-6 over Pittsburgh, before losing 28-16 to New England in the divisional round.