Training camp week has finally arrived for the Houston Texans. It’s all set to begin on July 29, and there has been plenty of hype and anticipation for the 25th season of Texans football. This upcoming season is very important in a lot of ways and is another great opportunity for the Texans to have a historic year and go farther into the playoffs than they’ve ever been. The talent and coaching are there to stay as a contender in the AFC. It’s just a matter of it all coming together.
However, there are some key questions and potential issues that need to be addressed during Texans training camp. This is the time for the Texans to sort that all out, and it will be interesting to see how they look once the season is about to start.
Here are three important questions heading into Texans training camp.
The Three Biggest Questions Entering Houston Texans Training Camp
Can the New Offensive Line Hold Up?
One of the biggest talking points surrounding the Texans over the past few years has been the offensive line. There have been so many looks and different groups of players on that line for Houston, and hardly any reliable consistency has been developed besides most of the 2023 season.
The Texans have invested quite a bit on the offensive line over the recent years, with multiple first-round picks spent. Some of those picks have not hit. Houston traded away All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil prior to last season as the Texans almost completely rebuilt the line.
The intention was clear when the offseason started. The Texans front office was not messing around and once again put great investment into building an experienced and reliable o-line. They first re-signed both right guard Ed Ingram and tackle Trent Brown, and then traded both Tytus Howard and Juice Scruggs away.
Huge Additions
The two big moves were signing free agents Braden Smith and Wyatt Teller that, at least on paper, solidified the line and improved it. Smith has been great at right tackle when healthy, especially in run-blocking. Teller is a three-time Pro Bowler and a strong veteran add. However, he’s spent most of his time in the NFL at right guard and will be at left guard for the Texans.
The Texans also drafted guard Keylan Rutledge in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, who’ll also move to center. Honestly, quite a few things have to go right for the Texans for this to work out, but it’s definitely possible. We’ll get the first look during Texans training camp.
Can C.J. Stroud be Successful?
This is probably the biggest question of them all for the Texans, and how Stroud performs this season will significantly impact the future decisions of the organization. The Texans have now assembled everything around Stroud to be successful, and now it’s on him to deliver.
There’s no doubt he can. Stroud has been a great quarterback for most of his career with the Texans, besides a few bad stretches. His horrible playoff performances last season are now what he’s known for, but this year gives him a chance to fix that and prove he’s better than that.
The offensive line has been retooled, but more importantly, he and the Texans have a true No. 1 running back to rely on in David Montgomery. After the injury to Joe Mixon last season, the running game was just not a real factor. Woody Marks now enters his second season and was great as a rookie, but not consistent enough.
Wide receiver Tank Dell is also expected to return and contribute this year. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are now in their second season. If Stroud looks sharp in Texans training camp against that elite defense he’ll have to go up against every day, that would be a great sign. The key is no turnovers. He’s typically been good at that in his career besides the last two playoff games.
Is this Texans Defense as Good as Last Season?
The Texans defense took over all the NFL storylines late last season for all their incredible performances. The group was fearless, dangerous, and physical and could take over games themselves. The defense was deemed Super Bowl worthy, and all the offense has to do is not blow it up.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened against the New England Patriots. It felt like a historic defense was wasted. The good news is that the Texans defense is now expected to be even better than last season. Somehow, that was made possible over the offseason. Whatever minor holes were on the defense have now been filled.
The New Additions
The Texans signed safety Reed Blankenship to a three-year, $24.75 million deal back in March, and he’s the final piece in the secondary as there are no holes. He’ll be the stabilizing force in the safety room just like he was for the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Super Bowl with the passing defense in the NFL.
The run defense and the depth at defensive tackle needed more help, and the Texans ended up getting the best prospect in the entire NFL Draft for that in second-round pick Kayden McDonald from Ohio State.
Things can happen year to year, and it can be tough to replicate. If the Texans defense still looks just as vaunting, then the rest of the NFL will need to watch out.
