The Houston Texans are less than 50 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we’re counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast.

Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let’s take a look at who has worn No. 48 since the inaugural season in 2002.

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Texans players to wear No. 48

No. 48 currently belongs to fourth-year linebacker Christian Harris. After a dominant 2023 season under new coach DeMeco Ryans, expectations were high for Harris to become the next standout WILL backer in the pros. In 16 games for a top 12 defense, Harris totaled over 100 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and a pick-six in the wild-card round victory over the Cleveland Browns.

A hip injury sidelined Harris ahead of the 2024 season for 14 games. Once he returned, Harris was designated to the No. 3 role behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o, though he did fill in for Al-Shaair amid his three-game suspension ahead of the postseason. Combined with the playoffs, Harris finished with 22 tackles, a sack and two quarterback hits.

Expectations remain that Harris will compete for first-team reps. The Texans could have netted a decent return ahead of the draft if they weren’t sold on his potential entering Year 3 of the Ryans’ era, but he’ll need a promising training camp to ensure his role will decrease behind the newly acquired E.J. Speed.

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Since Harris spent a majority of last season on the IR, he’s likely lost a step in being the G.O.A.T. of No. 48, but he still might have a case since the number has been seldomly passed out to starters.

LB Christian Harris (2022-Present)

LB Gearld Rivers (2015-2016)

TE Phillip Supernaw (2013-2014)

LS Bryan Pittman (2003-2008)

Best Player: Christian Harris

Pittman deserves some love because he was the long snapper before Jon Weeks, but does anyone really know him since Weeks became the face of snapping? Harris might have missed most of the 2024 season, but his 100-tackle season puts him in a category with only 11 others who have totaled triple-digits stops in a season.

With there being so few options, Harris’ 2023 season lands him on the list. At least for now going into the final year of his rookie contract.

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This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: 48 days until the Texans’ 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.48