Four weeks. As of this past Sunday, that’s how much time has elapsed since the Houston Texans squandered a huge opportunity to take this franchise one big step for ward, losing 28-16 to the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. We all know that the Patriots ended up making a Super Bowl appearance. That felt like it could have been the Texans’ Super Bowl appearance.
So now, here we are, four weeks removed from the C.J. Stroud, four interception catastrophe in Foxboro, and we are on the verge of the part of the NFL calendar where Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans can close ground on the teams that are perceived to be ahead of the Texans in the AFC pecking order. Free agency and the draft will be here soon enough.
For now, though, let’s take inventory. Four weeks into the offseason, what are the biggest stories so far for the Texans, and why are they relevant (if indeed they are) to success in 2026. Without further ado, here are the five biggest Texans stories so far this offseason:
5. Texans Pro Bowl takeover
In my trip to the Super Bowl a couple weeks ago, my colleagues from SportsRadio 610 and I stayed at the same hotel as the players in the Pro Bowl games, so maybe I’m feeling this more acutely than fans from afar, but WOW, the Texans had six players in the Pro Bowl games! Two of them, safety Calen Bullock and cornerback Kamari Lassiter, were named as replacements after the Texans’ playoff ouster. The team had five defensive players named, with Nico Collins as the only player on offense, which was kind of symbolic of how the Texans operated this season.
4. Coaching staff changes (and non changes)
After the season, for every NFL team, there are going to be changes to the coaching staff. Even good teams have underperforming assistant coaches. The Texans chose to move on from tight ends coach Jake Moreland, assistant linebackers coach Ben Bolling, and offensive assistant Mike Snyder. The bigger stories are probably the decision to largely run it back with most of the staff, and the retention of defensive backs coach Dino Vasso, who was highly sought after as a defensive coordinator candidate for multiple jobs.
3. Tank Dell will be back in some form this spring
There is no denying the fact that the knee injury suffered by Tank Dell back in Week 16 of the 2024 seasons as a devastating blow to the Texans’ offense. Ironically, Dell suffered the injury while scoring a touchdown in his best performance that season. The football gods are cruel, indeed! Dell missed the entire 2025 season, but all signs point to his return for spring drills in 2026. Nick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans have both confirmed as much in press conferences and interviews. Getting even 85 percent of peak Dell back would be a coup for the Texans.
2. C.J. Stroud’s new haircut
For as far back as Stroud has been a fixture on the sports celebrity landscape, he’s had his trademark dreads. That is until about two weeks ago. At first, when pictures of a dread-free Stroud surfaced on social media, people immediately cried “A.I.!” However, once some reliable sources began to confirm, we learned that Stroud decided that a “new him” meant “new hairdo,” as well. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a renewal of success for Stroud that includes no longer throwing four interceptions in one half of a playoff game.
1. Texans will have “their own room”
Finally, the biggest story of the offseason is the most recent story of the offseason. In the biggest functional shift in franchise history, the Texans will be breaking ground later this year on an 83-acre headquarters site in the Bridgeland community in Northwest Harris County. This area, which will be affectionately known as the Toro District, will not only house the Texans business and football operations, but also serve as the home to a massive retail and entertainment district that should have Bridgeland residents happy about the increased property values, but sad over the larger property tax bills. Hey, life is a give and a take, right?