The Houston Texans are getting plenty of offseason attention, but not all of it is flattering.
After a 12-win season that featured nine straight victories to close the regular season and a dominant divisional-round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Texans have built real momentum. Even with a quiet postseason loss to the New England Patriots, there’s still a clear sense that Houston can at least match its 2025 production, if not push beyond it.
Still, one NFL analyst isn’t sold. Stacey Mickles of USA TODAY Touchdown Wire put Houston among the NFL’s four most overrated teams, arguing that the Texans’ biggest issue remains on offense.
"The Texans are a very good defensive team; their offense, not so much. That’s the problem with this team.
Their defense can only carry them so far before a better offensive team comes in and knocks them out. The lack of offense reared its ugly head again in the playoffs, and until they figure out their offensive woes, the same thing will probably happen again this year."
That view, though, leaves out what Houston has done to reshape the roster. The Texans brought back a number of key defensive players for the 2026 season, keeping the core of that unit intact. They also added help on offense, including David Montgomery at running back and four new offensive linemen.
Those additions matter for C.J. Stroud, who now has a better chance to operate behind a reinforced front and with a more stable supporting cast. After a rookie season that showed exactly what he can do, Houston is betting that the new pieces will help the offense catch up to the defense.
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Derek Stingley Jr. Just Earned Major Respect Across The NFL
Derek Stingley Jr. has already gone from promising young corner to one of the NFLs most respected cover men, and the recognition keeps piling up. The Texans have leaned on him as a true tone-setter in the secondary, with his man coverage ability giving Houston a defender who can erase top receivers and change how opponents build their game plan.
What makes Stingleys rise stand out is how complete the production has become. Since 2023, he has piled up takeaway chances and pass breakups at a level few corners can match, while earning first-team All-Pro honors in back-to-back seasons. For Houston, that kind of consistency is more than a badge of honor, since it gives the defense a centerpiece it can trust every week, and it leaves plenty of room for his reputation around the league to keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Fans May Not Like Where The DeAndre Hopkins Talk Is Going
DeAndre Hopkins is still looking for his next NFL stop after finishing the 2025 season with the Ravens, and the former Texans All-Pro has made clear he wants to keep playing in 2026 as more of a situational piece for a contender than as a full-time centerpiece. For Houston fans, the name still carries plenty of weight, but the current conversation around Hopkins is less about a nostalgic reunion and more about whether there is a realistic football fit left at all.
Houston would be an easy storybook landing spot, yet the roster picture makes that look like a tough sell. Nico Collins is already entrenched, and the Texans have a cluster of younger receivers in the mix, which could leave Hopkins buried deep on the depth chart if he came home. With no team signed to him yet and other contenders such as the Bills and Rams looking like cleaner matches, the Hopkins watch is starting to feel more like a question of where he can still matter than whether the Texans should bring him back. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Offense Is Suddenly Drawing The Kind Of Buzz Fans Wanted
The Texans spent the offseason making clear they were not satisfied with the way the offense looked around C.J. Stroud, and the early buzz is starting to reflect that urgency. With Nick Caley now having a full year of experience working with Stroud, Houston is banking on better continuity, cleaner communication and a more comfortable quarterback in a system that should no longer feel new.
National attention is beginning to follow the same logic. Ted Nguyen has put Houston among his top breakout offenses for the coming season, pointing to the upgraded support around Stroud and the chance for the unit to look more complete than it did a year ago. The bigger question now is whether those changes can translate from offseason optimism into the kind of weekly production that gets the Texans back on track. [Read more 🡒]