The Houston Texans took to the practice field on Thursday morning, amidst beautiful blue skies and cooler than usual temperatures, for their second session of Organized Team Activities of the 2026 offseason. Of the three sessions this week, this was the only one open to the media, so this will be the only one (until next week) from which I can give first hand observations.
Also, it should be noted that there were no pads worn in these practices, which are completely voluntary. Without pads, the blocking in the 11-on-11 drills barely mimics blocking in an actual practice or game. Still, there is plenty to glean from the practices, as well as the post practice interviews (one, in particular on Thursday).
Here are four observations/thoughts on Thursday’s session at the Methodist Training Center:
Will Anderson’s getting a new contract has not affected his motor
A few weeks ago, the Texans made Will Anderson, Jr. the highest paid non-quarterback in the history of the league, inking him to a three-year, $150 million extension. You’d think it’d be human nature for anyone, Anderson or otherwise, to take their foot off the gas pedal when you get that kind of guaranteed wealth. Well, fortunately, Will Anderson is not human. He spent his Thursday morning wrecking shop and leading the defense in such a dominant fashion that DeMeco Ryans semi-jokingly said that they may need to sit Will down, if the offense is to get any quality work done.
C.J. Stroud had an interesting day
This was the first look that the Houston media was getting, in person, of the new version of Stroud, with his trademark dreadlocks clipped off, and with his new slender build. On the field, Stroud did a nice job moving the offense in 7-on-7 drills. 11-on-11 was a bit of a different story. Stroud threw an interception to Jalen Pitre on the first snap of 11-on-11, and the rest of the time, he was having trouble finding open receivers. It should be noted that Nico Collins did not practice on Thursday, so it wasn’t the exact crew we’d expect in, say, Week 1. After practice, Stroud did a press conference where he was asked about his contractual situation, in which it seems there is zero movement on an extension, and here’s what he said:
The last part about “holding up [his end of the] bargain” makes it interesting. Stroud doesn’t seem ready to go to war over this, but there could definitely be a chasm between him and the team over just how deserving he is this very minute.
Tank Dell’s participation was the worst case scenario
We haven’t seen Tank Dell in a Texans uniform since the day his knee got wrecked colliding with a teammate in Kansas City in December 2024. I can confirm, Dell was wearing a uniform on Thursday. Publicly, though, that’s about all he did. Dell spent the rest of the time in the practice bubble, away from prying media eyes, presumably working to get back fully healthy. For Texan fans hoping that Dell would be a full participant in OTAs, it was not even close. For those worried about the worst case scenario, that he’d be a virtual non participant, your fears were experienced live on Thursday. I don’t know what the end game nor the timeline is for Dell, but it doesn’t feel great.
There was not much to glean about where they’re going on the offensive line, yet
The one position group that saw the most churn and scrutiny this offseason was the offensive line, where the Texans signed three new faces, re-signed two, and drafted two more. The Texans forbid the media from tweeting or writing about specific depth chart items or positional groupings, but let’s just say that it seems every scenario is in play right now on the offensive line, both in terms of personnel and where certain individuals with positional versatility may land. It’s going to be a fascinating training camp at this position when July gets here, especially considering the defense this offense must go against every single day.
