The Texans spent the offseason locking up a few important pieces, but not everyone in the building got that kind of security. A handful of players now head into 2026 with their future hanging on what they do this season, and the pressure is on to either earn a new deal in Houston or put themselves in position to cash in somewhere else.
Davis Mills is one of the clearest examples. He has settled in as a reliable backup since C.J.
Stroud arrived in 2023, and last season’s three-game run as the starter only reinforced that value. Houston went 3-0 with Mills under center in that stretch.
Still, he’s in the final year of his current contract, and unless something happens to Stroud, snaps will be hard to come by. That makes every chance he gets especially important, whether it’s to keep drawing interest from quarterback-needy teams or to convince Houston to pay him to stay as QB2.
Tank Dell’s season carries a different kind of weight. He’s coming back to the field for the first time since the severe leg injury he suffered in 2024, and he’s doing it in the final year of his rookie deal.
There’s no clean way to know how quickly he’ll look like himself again, or how heavily the Texans will lean on him early. But whatever reps he gets will matter.
They’ll help answer whether another team sees big-money potential, or whether Houston wants to make a real push to keep him.
Xavier Hutchinson is in that same contract-year spotlight, and he comes off his best season yet. The 2023 draft pick set career highs with 35 catches and 428 yards, but the receiver room around him is crowded now.
Nico Collins is there, the second-year wideouts are there, and Dell is working his way back into the mix. Hutchinson will need a noticeable jump to force Houston to seriously consider giving him a second contract.
Brevin Jordan is trying to do the same thing at tight end. He’s back after a two-year injury hiatus and looking to re-establish himself as the kind of offensive weapon the Texans expected when they brought him in.
The path to playing time won’t be simple, because that room also has plenty of depth. But Jordan’s value as both a receiver and a blocker gives him a real shot to climb the depth chart behind Dalton Schultz.
If he does, the payoff could come next offseason.
Dameon Pierce also enters the year with a one-year deal hanging over him after signing a new $7 million contract to return this offseason. His role will matter a lot, because Houston is likely choosing between him and Braden Smith for the starting right tackle job in training camp.
With Pierce’s experience in the offense, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him push into that starting group. If he does that and stays on the field, his next contract could get a lot more interesting.
On the defensive front, Tommy Togiai is another name worth watching. Houston spent a second-day pick on Kayden McDonald at No. 36, but Togiai can’t be overlooked after breaking through as a practice squad elevation last season and then signing an extension midway through the year.
He was a real bright spot in 2025 as a sturdy run defender next to Sheldon Rankins on the interior. The competition will be tougher now, but this staff clearly likes him enough to give him another meaningful role.
Henry To'oTo'o may be the most important of the group. He’s the starter next to Azeez Al-Shaair at linebacker, and that job matters even more now after E.J.
Speed’s season-ending injury. The Texans could have a hard time fitting a big deal for To'oTo'o into next summer’s books, especially with the defensive spending already building and the possibility of a C.J.
Stroud extension coming down the line. Even so, what To'oTo'o does this season will go a long way in shaping his market.
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