The Houston Texans entered the 2025 season with high hopes, but the end result was more disappointing than expected. They ultimately lost to the New England Patriots in the Divisional round. Now, one former NFL player projects that the Texans are a mere free agency signing away from hoisting their own Lombardi.
Former NFL LB Thinks the Texans Could Be One Player Short of a Super Bowl
The Texans had the second-best defense in the NFL, with a PFSN Defense Impact metric grade of B+, second only to the Denver Broncos at A-. They allowed a stingy average of just 1.52 yards per play, which was also second in the league.
However, while the defense made life difficult for some of the league’s best offenses, their offense just couldn’t always do enough. PFSN’s Offense Impact metric grade for the Texans’ offense was a C-, and quarterback C.J. Stroud had a grade of C.
Former NFL linebacker turned analyst Manti Te’o recently addressed the Texans on the NFL Network’s show “Good Morning Football.”
“With the defense that you have over there in Houston, you just need an offense that won’t lose you the game. You don’t even need an offense that’s going to win you the game. There were so many times that we saw last year, especially in the postseason, that it was a defense that kept giving you opportunities. Not only giving you opportunities but saving you from bad opportunities,” explained T’eo.
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“When you have a defense like what DeMeco Ryans has over there, you need an offense that just gets the job done and doesn’t mess it up. If there’s one team that I think is just one offseason away, just one free agency signing away, it’s the Houston Texans.”
Stroud had an excellent rookie season after the Texans selected him with the second overall pick in 2023. That year, PFSN graded him a B-, and he ranked fifth in the league, but each year since then, his score has dropped despite him improving in some areas, such as his sack rate.
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The Texans pounded the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, 30-6, but the score doesn’t accurately reflect the offense’s performance that day. Stroud’s performance was hit or miss; he showed flashes of brilliance but also turned the ball over three times.
All of this has led to rumors that Houston will look to trade Stroud this offseason. However, if Te’o is correct, the Texans could look to bolster their offense and provide Stroud with the interior offensive line support that he was so desperately missing.
