![\"Texans](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785497111_89_image.jpeg\"\/)
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Texans QB CJ Stroud (Photo by Jack Gorman\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Houston has reached the playoffs in each of C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans’ three seasons together, but last year ended with a divisional-round loss to the Patriots in which Stroud turned the ball over seven times across two postseason games, including four first-half interceptions against New England. That performance has put both the quarterback and the offense under a spotlight entering training camp, even as the defense enters the year as one of the most talented units in football. Training camp runs from July 29 through Aug. 31 at NRG Park for Houston’s 25th season, with eight practices open to the public before joint sessions against the Raiders and Panthers.<\/p>\n
A make-or-break year for C.J. Stroud<\/p>\n
Stroud is entering a crossroads season, and it’s also a contract year. General manager Nick Caserio said the sides have had “productive conversations” this spring about an extension<\/a> and called it a “possibility” that a deal gets done, though league sources indicate talks haven’t been close to an agreement and could linger into the season. Stroud, eligible for his first extension since arriving as the second overall pick in 2023, says he’s staying out of the negotiations: “I’m focused on ball. Trying to hold my bargain down on the football side, doing what I can and should be doing as a quarterback of this team. I’m letting them handle it and it seems like everything is going great.” Head coach DeMeco Ryans has been similarly direct about how it gets resolved: “I truly believe you get the contract by what you do on the field. It doesn’t matter what you say, what I say. It’s about how you perform on the field.”<\/p>\n The numbers make the case for both sides. Stroud has 28 regular-season wins in three years, seventh most among NFL quarterbacks over that span, with two AFC South titles<\/a> and a playoff appearance every season, a sharp turnaround from Houston’s 11-38-1 record in the three years before he arrived.<\/p>\n But his production has trended the wrong way since a spectacular rookie season, when he threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 15 games. He fell to 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2024 while getting sacked a league-worst-adjacent 52 times, then missed three games with a concussion last season, finishing with 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions before the playoff turnover trouble in New England. Stroud has reported to camp in noticeably leaner shape after an offseason built around private throwing sessions, framing the moment as a fresh start: “I’m still growing. This ain’t the end of C.J. Stroud. Just going to take my best foot forward.”<\/p>\n Houston’s offense ranked 16th in scoring at 21.9 points per game last season, but the team is 18-1 since 2023 when it reaches 24 points or more, underscoring how much the offense’s ceiling depends on Stroud and a retooled supporting cast finding that level consistently. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley’s system improved Houston’s run game and pass protection in year one; the question for year two is whether the explosive passing plays that defined Stroud’s rookie year under previous coordinator Bobby Slowik can return, after Stroud’s explosive-throw rate slipped to 17th among qualifying quarterbacks last season.<\/p>\n A run game upgrade and another offensive line makeover<\/p>\n Houston struggled to run the ball last year without an injured Joe Mixon, prompting a trade for power back David Montgomery<\/a>, whose downhill style is expected to make the play-action passing game more effective. The Texans believed in him enough to sign him to a two-year, $16.5 million extension. The offensive line got another overhaul, with Houston trading away Tytus Howard to Cleveland while signing left guard Wyatt Teller and right tackle Braden Smith and retaining right guard Ed Ingram. First-round pick Keylan Rutledge, a guard-center prospect, fits the physical, gritty identity offensive line coach Cole Popovich wants up front after a group that protected well last season but struggled badly in run-blocking.<\/p>\n Wide receiver Nico Collins remains one of the league’s best contested-catch targets when healthy, after a concussion played a role in Houston’s playoff collapse. Jayden Higgins, taken early in the second round last year after Houston traded away its 2025 first-round pick, posted 525 receiving yards as a rookie and now steps in as the team’s true No. 2 receiver alongside Collins. Jaylin Noel handles slot duties, and Tank Dell’s status remains uncertain as he continues rehabbing a serious knee injury. Tight end Dalton Schultz anchors the position, with Marlin Klein and Foster Moreau behind him.<\/p>\n Rookie first-round pick Keylan Rutledge, Houston’s first Round 1 selection since Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. went second and third overall in 2023, is at the center of one of camp’s more interesting position battles. Rutledge is working at both center, against incumbent starter Jake Andrews, and left guard, in a competition with veteran Wyatt Teller, even though he only played right guard in college. Where \u2014 and how quickly \u2014 he wins a job will be one of the more closely watched threads of camp.<\/p>\n A defense built to win now<\/p>\n Houston’s defense enters 2026 widely regarded as the best in the league, and arguably an improved version of the group that carried the team a year ago. Edge rusher Will Anderson Jr<\/a>. made the team’s ambitions clear during OTAs, telling reporters the objective is simple: win the Super Bowl. Anderson and Pro Bowl defensive end Danielle Hunter combined for 27 sacks, 45 quarterback hits and 35 tackles for loss last season, and both received new contracts this offseason.<\/p>\n The secondary is the unit’s calling card, led by All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and Pro Bowl corner Kamari Lassiter, with Jalen Pitre patrolling the nickel. Safety Calen Bullock returns alongside newcomer Reed Blankenship, who arrives from Philadelphia to shore up a spot that was a problem last season. Houston also added size up front, using a second-round pick on Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and adding Logan Hall to pair with Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai. Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair signed a three-year, $54 million deal after emerging as an extension of Ryans on the field.<\/p>\n Full 2026 Houston Texans scheduleWeekDateOpponentTime (ET)TV1Sept. 13vs. Buffalo Bills1 p.m.CBS2Sept. 20vs. Cincinnati Bengals1 p.m.CBS3Sept. 27at Indianapolis Colts1 p.m.CBS4Oct. 4vs. Dallas Cowboys1 p.m.FOX5Oct. 11at Tennessee Titans1 p.m.CBS6Oct. 18vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (London)9:30 a.m.NFL Network7Oct. 25vs. New York Giants1 p.m.FOX8\u2014BYE\u2014\u20149Nov. 8at Los Angeles Chargers4:05 p.m.CBS10Nov. 15at Cleveland Browns1 p.m.FOX11Nov. 19vs. Indianapolis Colts8:15 p.m.Prime Video12Nov. 29vs. Baltimore Ravens1 p.m.CBS13Dec. 6at Pittsburgh Steelers8:20 p.m.NBC14Dec. 13at Washington Commanders1 p.m.CBS15Dec. 20vs. Jacksonville Jaguars1 p.m.CBS16Dec. 24at Philadelphia Eagles8:15 p.m.Prime Video17Jan. 4at Green Bay Packers8:15 p.m.Prime Video18TBDvs. Tennessee TitansTBDTBD<\/p>\n Houston’s preseason opens at home against the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 13, followed by a home game against Las Vegas and a road trip to Carolina.<\/p>\n Texans odds and best bets for 2026<\/p>\n At BetRivers<\/a>, Houston is priced at +2000<\/a> to win the Super Bowl<\/a>. The Texans are favored to make the playoffs, priced at -159<\/a> against +130<\/a> to miss the postseason. Houston’s regular-season win total sits at 9.5, with the Over priced at -121<\/a> and the Under at +100<\/a>. In the AFC South, Houston is priced as the favorite to finish first at +120<\/a>, with second at +225<\/a>, third at +400<\/a> and fourth at +700<\/a>.<\/p>\n BetRivers also offers a pair of combo props tied directly to Houston’s biggest storylines. A parlay of Stroud throwing for 4,000-plus yards and the Texans winning the AFC South is priced at +450<\/a>, while a combo of David Montgomery topping 1,000 rushing yards and Nico Collins topping 1,000 receiving yards sits at +400<\/a>.<\/p>\n