Houston’s offensive line looks like the biggest reason C.J. Stroud could be in line for a very different 2026.
After last season ended with Stroud taking a beating in a 28-16 Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots, the Texans made it clear the problem wasn’t a lack of skill around him. The issue was up front, where the pocket kept folding and the pressure kept coming. General manager Nick Caserio treated that as the offseason priority, and Houston responded by overhauling three of its five starting offensive line spots.
That rebuild is already the defining storyline of Houston’s preseason work. The Texans came out of Thursday night’s 27-7 exhibition loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and returned to the film room Saturday morning at the Houston Methodist Training Center, with the new look front line front and center.
Houston poured real resources into the group. The Texans signed former Browns Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller and veteran tackle Braden Smith to multi-year deals, and they also added veteran tackle Trent Brown for competition on the right side.
Then came the draft move that turned heads: Georgia Tech’s Keylan Rutledge at No. 26 overall. Drafted as a guard, Rutledge was quickly shifted to center by head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
That decision has given Houston a different kind of interior presence. With Teller’s power next to Ed Ingram and Rutledge handling the middle, the Texans have put together a heavier, more stable core. On their limited opening drive Thursday, that unit gave up just one sack and helped create immediate movement in short-yardage runs.
There are still lineup decisions to sort through, especially on the right side. Braden Smith and Trent Brown are rotating reps there, and Ryans is expected to lean on next week’s joint practices before settling on a starter opposite second-year left tackle Aireontae Ersery.
Houston also made a change at kicker on Friday afternoon, placing rookie Chris Freeman on waivers after he missed his only field goal attempt against Los Angeles. Freeman had been signed to give record-setting veteran Ka’imi Fairbairn a breather during camp, but the move suggests Fairbairn is back on full workload duty as the intensity picks up.
The line work is also supposed to change the ground game. A sturdier interior should open more room for veteran running back David Montgomery and sophomore back Woody Marks, which would go straight at last season’s 22nd-ranked rushing attack.
For the Texans, everything starts in the trenches now.
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Texans 53-Man Roster Still Has One Big Question Before Week 1
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Even so, there is still a bit of final-housekeeping intrigue at receiver and on the interior defensive line, where the Texans could continue to tweak the mix before the opener. Some of that depends on trade paperwork being completed, and some of it could come down to how the last few camp battles shake out, which leaves the roster looking mostly set but not entirely finished just yet. [Read more 🡒]