Houston Texans

With $29.2M in current room but $60.8M in dead money and a projected deficit of $17.8M next season, Houston is walking a financial tightrope that demands disciplined roster management right now.

28 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Two starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Six picks this year including three first-rounders, with 20 total picks across the next three years, gives Houston real rebuild currency even in a difficult cap environment.

• 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 secondary is the roster's clear top strength, with three cornerbacks and two young safeties rated among the better groups in the league, while the offensive line, particularly left tackle, is the glaring weak spot.

• LThigh

  Trent Brown, a twilight-stage player, is the current starter at left tackle, ranking dead last among starters league-wide, making this the most urgent address on the roster.

• HBmedium

  David Montgomery starts at halfback but ranks 24th among starters, and depth behind him is thin despite ranking second in the league at that level.

• Clow

  Evan Brown is a serviceable starter at center but ranks 22nd among starters, and the position needs an upgrade to shore up the interior.

• DTlow

  Sheldon Rankins leads a defensive tackle group that ranks 21st among starters and 22nd in depth, leaving the interior line exposed.

• LGlow

  Keylan Rutledge starts at left guard and the depth chart is the best in the league at that tier, but the 21st-ranked starter means the top of the position still needs attention.

• QBlow

  C.J. Stroud is the starter but ranks 23rd among quarterbacks league-wide, making continued development at the position a quiet but real priority.

• WILLlow

  Henry To'oTo'o holds the Will linebacker spot but ranks 22nd among starters, with the depth behind him ranking 23rd, creating a thin situation across the board.

• 66Davis MillsQBDavis Mills is the second-string quarterback at 66 overall behind Stroud and ahead of Mark Gronowski, and releasing him frees $6.0M against only $2.0M in dead money, making him a logical cap trim.Frees $6.0M · $2.0M dead
• 68Tremon SmithCBTremon Smith is a 68 overall cornerback working as a returner behind the starters, and cutting him frees $2.5M against $1.0M in dead money with minimal impact on the depth chart.Frees $2.5M · $1.0M dead
• 71Jake AndrewsCJake Andrews is the backup center behind Evan Brown at 71 overall, and releasing him comes with zero dead money while freeing $3.7M, making this a clean savings move.Frees $3.7M · $0 dead
• 73Xavier HutchinsonWRXavier Hutchinson is a 73 overall receiver sitting outside the top three at wideout, and his release frees $3.7M against only $40K in dead money, representing strong cap value for minimal roster loss.Frees $3.7M · $40.0K dead
• 63Jake HansenMIKEJake Hansen is the third-string MIKE linebacker at 63 overall behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Wade Woodaz, and cutting him frees $1.6M against $640K in dead money.Frees $1.6M · $640.0K dead

The Texans carry a legitimate defensive identity built around Will Anderson Jr and Derek Stingley Jr, with Danielle Hunter providing elite production on the right edge, though Hunter is entering the later stage of his career and succession planning will become necessary. C.J. Stroud is the long-term answer at quarterback but still has ground to cover before he ranks among the league's elite, and the offense is held back by the worst left tackle starter in the league in Trent Brown, who is among the oldest at his position and cannot be counted on long-term. Nico Collins gives Stroud a genuine No. 1 target, and Dalton Schultz is a dependable tight end, though Schultz is also entering a later career window. The cap picture is complicated, with $60.8M in dead money ranking sixth-most in the league and a projected shortfall of $17.8M next season, meaning roster-building moves will require creativity. Three first-round picks in the current draft cycle provide meaningful rebuild currency, and the young secondary pairing of Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock gives the defense a bright future alongside Anderson. This is a team with a real defensive core and some offensive weapons, but the offensive line, quarterback ceiling, and cap constraints keep it short of contention until those pieces come together.

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.