It’s summer break for the Texans…or at least the players. There are no scheduled team activities until rookies report for the start of training camp in late July. Until then, the NFL calendar is pretty blank. Yet, as with the summer break for school, even as the students and teachers are off, there are still things to be done and worked on before business picks back up in late July/early August. To that end, a few considerations:
Does the team have its 3rd LB on the roster? The loss of EJ Speed, likely
for the rest of the season, does Houston no favors. Speed proved an effective LB, aiding run stopping and on special teams. While the Texans will likely spend more time in a 4-2-5, especially given the strength of the secondary, Houston does not want to find itself short in the LB department. Al-Shaair and To’oTo’o will man the two primary LB spots, but with teams like Baltimore on the schedule, who can and will run the ball, shifting to a 4-3 base will be a necessity. The requirement for depth due to injuries is also a given. The team does not lack for potential bodies to try to get that LB3 spot. Yet, the team may not have its LB3 on the roster at the moment. Could the team just wait to see how camp shakes out, or do they go for a free agent. The percentages for the signing might be low, but could you imagine Fred Warner on this defense?
The move to a for-realz 12 formation: Taking the fact that mini-camps can only offer so much, one thing that observers and insiders note is that Houston will likely try to have more 12 (1 RB, 2 TEs) formations on the field. In particular, Houston’s offense will want actual TEs and not “heavy” packages where an extra tackle (Blake Fisher enters the chat) was used for blocking. However, to make a 12 formation effective, one must have the requisite TEs to make that happen. For Houston, there is Dalton Schultz, and then there is…well, a combination of players trying to come back from injury. Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover made their return to the field, catching passes and participating in drills. 2nd round pick Marlin Klein was present, but due to hamstring issues, did not participate like the other TEs. If the team is wanting a 12 base, then at least 4 effective TEs need to be on the main roster and ready to produce. In particular, much rides on Jordan and Klein, as they will have to provide as much receiving prowess as blocking. Cade Stover has been a jack-of-all-trades type TE, but he doesn’t provide the explosive potential that Houston will need if the offense wants to make that much-needed leap.
Last week, Houston did sign one TE to the roster (Louis Hansen), but that is not a signing that moves the needle much. However, it may not be a shock if the team feels that they need another body or two for TE. Keep one eye on the transactions to see if Houston does go for another TE option.
Offensive line, the battle for center looms: Accounting for the gigantic caveat that there is little to show what the offensive line can do during mini-camp, the likely starting 5 on the Oline is as follows: LT: Ersary; LG: Teller; C: Andrews; RG: Ingram; RT: Brown. However, of the five positions, the C position is likely the one least settled. Andrews is the incumbent starter, but the offensive interior was a team weakness back in 2025. To resolve that rather glaring issue, the team used its 1st pick of IOL Rutledge, who can play guard or center. While an all-American at Guard, his flexibility and high draft status make him a likely challenger to Andrews for the starting slot. Granted, a rookie starting at Center is not ideal, but in a make-or-break type season, the best must play, regardless of league experience.
Of note, Brown was logging time at the starting RT spot, having just come off of injury, but mainly because free agent acquisition Smith is still working through his own injuries, and the team is not wanting to rush any recovery. Houston was undefeated when Brown started at RT, but he is also a bit injury prone. Health will likely dictate the starter for that side of the line. Overall, not likely to expect any new OL pre-camp signings, unless we come across some injuries.
Are the contract extensions done?: With Nico Collins’ extension, Houston likely has fulfilled its contract extensions for all on-roster veterans, at least for this offseason. They do need to get the draft picks signed, but no word of any drama on that front. It would be interesting to see if MacDonald and his team ask for the same type of deal that Higgins got as a 2nd rounder last season (fully guaranteed, etc). However, that would leave one rather big question mark: the future of CJ Stroud’s contract. It seems likely that Houston will wait and see how 2026 goes for the 4th year signal-caller. Stroud and his camp haven’t said much on the matter, other than one line about “doing everything he can” about that. With the fifth-year option settled, Houston has bought itself at least two years, plus a potential franchise tag, to work through such matters. However, if Stroud reverts to his rookie year form, or even to a form that doesn’t look like whatever that was in the 2025-26 postseason, the cost for Houston will only grow exponentially. It seems like 2026 will decide that fate. Hopefully for all concerned, that turns out well.
Reliant Stadium Doesn’t Get the Summer Off: Along with the Texans’ front office, another part of the team doesn’t get the summer off: The stadium itself. Starting this weekend, Houston will host multiple World Cup games. They are slated to host five group stage games and two knock-out round games, taking the stadium’s use up to early July. The amount of fans attending will vary. Houston isn’t assured of some of the best matchups, but they do get a games with Portugal and Germany, so that might get more than the usual number of eye-balls on the stadium for this time of year. Granted, FIFA’s ticket policies might do much to limit the wear and tear on Houston’s stadium. Oh, and to get in compliance with FIFA, Houston is replacing its Field Turf with actual, ryegrass-Kentucky bluegrass. That will not be the case when (American) football returns. Thus, July will be busy around the stadium, replacing seats and the Field Turf before the preseason games.
With that, we move into the offseason. Will it be boring as scheduled, or will there be more news than expected? Stay tuned.
