The Houston Texans have a franchise quarterback, a good coach, and a promising skill group. They still cannot block for CJ Stroud. That has to change in 2026, and training camp is where they try to prove it.
The offensive line was the story of the 2025 Texans season and not in a good way. Stroud got hit constantly. He missed time. His numbers cratered. Houston finished second in the AFC South but limped into the playoffs and got bounced early. Everybody knew where the problem was. Nobody in the building denied it either.
Nick Caserio spent the offseason retooling the line again. This is now the second straight year Houston has attempted a major offensive line overhaul. If this one does not work, patience with Caserio’s roster construction is going to run out fast.
The other camp story is Tank Dell. The receiver has been out since a devastating knee injury in late 2024. Houston has done everything possible to bring him back at 100 percent. Team doctors have taken their time. Camp is where we finally get to see if Dell can move the way he used to.
The difference between Stroud’s production with and without Dell in the lineup is stark. Nico Collins is a legitimate WR1 and one of the most underrated players in the league. But Dell added a completely different dimension. He was the guy Stroud went to in the biggest moments of his rookie year. When defenses had to account for both him and Collins on every snap, the Texans passing game was elite. When it was just Collins carrying it, defenses tightened everything down.
Getting Dell back is the closest thing this offense has to a free upgrade. If he is right, Houston has a top-5 receiver group in the AFC. If he is not, they are Nico Collins and a bunch of role players.
The rest of the roster is fine. Joe Mixon is a workhorse in the backfield. Dalton Schultz still catches passes at tight end. The defense under DeMeco Ryans is fast, aggressive, and has real edge rush pressure with Will Anderson Jr. anchoring it.
This is a playoff team when things break right. Houston should win the AFC South. They should host at least one playoff game. Anything less than a Divisional Round appearance would be a disappointment.
The offensive line is not going to fix itself. Training camp reps against the Texans defense will tell everybody what they need to know pretty quickly. Two weeks in, if Stroud is comfortable in the pocket in team drills, this season has a real chance. If he is still getting flushed, we are having the same conversation in January.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
