The NFL trade deadline is closing in, and the Texans have some real decisions to make. At 2-5, Houston has every reason to look hard at the roster and figure out which pieces fit the long-term picture - and which ones might make more sense as trade chips.
That’s where this group comes in. For a handful of Texans, a midseason move could serve both sides, whether it’s about squeezing out value now or clearing the deck for what comes next.
Kayshon Boutte is one of the most interesting names on the list. Houston’s wide receiver room looks very different than it did when the team traded for him, and his expiring deal makes it fair to wonder whether he’s in the Texans’ long-term plans. The last two weeks have brought his lowest snap totals of the season, and with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Tank Dell set to eat into his work as an outside receiver, Houston may decide the smart play is to move him before his value slips any further.
Hutchinson is in a similar spot in some ways, since he’s also in the final year of his contract and may not be a priority to bring back this summer. But there’s a wrinkle here: the Texans used him heavily in the offense last week, and over the last two games he’s been on the field for more than 50% of Houston’s offensive snaps in a week. That gives him a better chance than Boutte to hang around.
The offensive line brings another cluster of possible trade candidates. Wyatt Teller hasn’t delivered the kind of impact Houston hoped for when it brought him in as an upgrade, and his only starts since arriving came while Ed Ingram missed two weeks with a groin injury. The Texans could decide to move him now, recoup some modest value, and send a veteran guard somewhere else for a fresh start.
The same basic logic applies to Smith. Houston signed him this offseason to a $20 million deal with starter expectations, but a foot injury before the season undercut his chance to win the job from Trent Brown.
If the Texans can find a market for him, they may prefer that over letting the investment look like a miss. And because he’s a tackle rather than a guard, there’s a chance Houston could get a stronger return.
Jake Andrews is another name worth watching, even if he doesn’t carry the same profile as the others. He proved to be a serviceable center starter last year, but Evan Brown took over to begin the 2026 season and Andrews has been stuck on the outside looking in. The return would likely be small, but it could still add to Houston’s future asset pool.
David Montgomery is a tougher call. Houston traded a fourth-round pick for him, but he has not bounced back from a rough start, and the groin injury he suffered in Week 5 has only made things worse. A trade is possible if another team wants help in the backfield, though it still feels unlikely at this stage.
Then there’s Davis Mills, a familiar name in Texans trade chatter because he’s such a useful backup quarterback. If a quarterback-needy team comes calling, Houston could get a solid return for a stopgap veteran.
At the same time, there’s obvious value in keeping a dependable No. 2 behind C.J. Stroud, even with Stroud playing at a high level.
Mills’ expired contract only adds another layer to the conversation.
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Texans Face One Trade Deadline Question They Cant Ignore
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On the other side of the ball, the same problem has surfaced in a different form, with opponents finding too much room to run through the interior. DeMeco Ryans and his staff head into the bye week with a clear area to attack, and for a team that wants a tougher physical identity, this is the kind of issue that can define whether the season starts to turn or keeps stalling out. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Bye Week Puts Pressure On One Fix For Their Run Defense
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One name that naturally comes up is Tampa Bays Vita Vea, one of the leagues premier run-stuffing defensive tackles. A move like that would not be simple, though, because Vea recently signed an extension and the Buccaneers would have little reason to part with him easily. Still, the Texans could at least explore the possibility, even if it means putting future draft capital on the table for a fix that would be hard to find any other way. [Read more 🡒]