The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we’re counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast.
Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let’s take a look at who has won No. 86 since the inaugural season in 2002.
Texans players to wear No. 85
No. 85 currently belongs to rookie wide receiver Daniel Jackson. The Cal product is a long shot to make the final 3-man roster, but he impressed in several drills during minicamp and OTAs.
With Jackson being a rookie, he can’t be the best player in franchise history to wear No. 85, though the pickings are slim despite two decades of experience.
Best Player: TE Joel Dreessen
Walter might be the better player, but he switched over to No. 83 after the 2006 season. Dreessen, one of the better blocking tight ends, helped Houston go from a bottom-dwelling offense under Gary Kubiak to an AFC South champion before departing after the 2011 season.
In five seasons, Dreesen caught 105 passes for 1,323 yards and 13 TDs. His best season came in 2010, when he totaled career-highs in receptions (36), receiving yards (518) and yards per reception (14.4). His back-to-back promising campaigns led to a payday with the Denver Broncos in 2012.
And don’t worry about Walter. He’s about to show up later this week on the list.
Schultz with a solid season will likely take over this spot in 2026, but Gaffney’s role as a No. 2 receiver in the early stages of the team’s tenure. Gaffney never took over games and was constantly dealing with injuries, but he averaged 42 catches over four seasons. He also finished with seven touchdowns and averaged 13.8 yards per attempt.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 85 days until the Texans’ 2025 season opener: Who has worn No. 85?
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
