The Houston Texans’ 2025 NFL season is going to be one to remember.
The back-to-back AFC South champions retained most of their key players from the 2024 team that won the AFC South and went toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round in Arrowhead, but one of the team’s best assets is playing elsewhere. Houston did move off Kenyon Green to acquire C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the Philadelphia Eagles, and shipped off five-time Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders.
In retrospect, the Texans also added some new wrinkles in receivers Christian Kirk and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Houston also bolstered the offensive line with the additions of Laken Tomlinson and Tay Ersery from Minnesota in the second round.
The key to it all is C.J. Stroud, who could become one of the highest paydays this offseason should he exceed expecations under new offensive coordinator Nick Caley calling the shots after a woeful under to the Bobby Slowik tenure.
But when tasked with coming up with one word to describe the Rams’ season, FOX Sports’ Ben Arthur wrote: “underwhelming.”
“After C.J. Stroud was the second-most sacked quarterback in 2024, the Texans entered the offseason in dire need of retooling their offensive line,” Arthur wrote. “But their moves to address the group, including trading away perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, feel disappointing.”
Yes, it’s fair to criticize the Texans’ struggles with the offensive line, especially when the team had trouble keeping Stroud upright. However, change was needed, and with Tunsil entering a contract year, as well as other players requiring new contracts, it was inevitable that someone would be on the way out.
Houston should easily win the AFC South again and could make another run to the Super Bowl, but it also could flounder in a make-or-break year with Stroud ahead of negotiations. No matter which way it falls, the Rams’ braintrust of Decmo Ryans and Nick Caserio will need to figure out their plans for a team with a lot of question marks following this year
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: NFL analyst describes Texans’ 2025 offseason in one word
Reporting by Cole Thompson, Texans Wire / Texans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
