Who is the bounce-back player for the Houston Texans this upcoming season? And better yet, what defines a “bonce back” player to begin with?

Keep in mind that the national attention surrounding C.J. Stroud’s “sophomore slump” was well documented throughout the 2024 season. While Stroud wasn’t able to match his record-setting rookie numbers, he still threw for over 3,700 yards and 20 touchdowns en route to a second AFC South division title.

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That likely doesn’t warrant a “bounce back” candidacy in the eyes of most. For a majority of the NFL public, the terms most likely references a play who struggled to stay healthy and immedietly hit rock bottom in a year where expectations were high.

Pro Football Focus released its picks for the 32 players across each team in line looking to respond. PFF writer Dalton Wasserman nabbed Texans fourth-year linebacker Christian Harris as the candidate who could need a rejuvination down in Houston for the 2025 season ahead of a contract year.

After leading the Texans in tackles in 2023, Harris was limited to just three games due to a calf injury suffered in the offseason. By the time he was healthy, most attention was already fixated of second-year linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and veteran Azeez Al-Shaair.

From a talent standpoint, few players are as athletic as Harris. He’s a do-it-all linebacker, but he’ll need to show it by staying active and consistent.

“Harris’ 2024 season was derailed by a preseason calf injury that kept him sidelined until Week 15. During Houston’s 2023 playoff run, he had begun to carve out a role as a coverage specialist within the linebacker corps, earning a 72.2 coverage grade, a top-25 mark among NFL linebackers that year,” Wasserman wrote. “He may not return to a full-time starting role in 2025, but regaining that form would be a valuable boost for a defense that struggled to get similar production from Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’o To’o last season.”

One could call last season a wash for Harris, mainly because of injury. Hopefully, Harris can live up to PFF’s billing to turn it around in 2025, but better yet, get Houston back to a top five unit entering a contract year.

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This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: LB Christian Harris named PFF’s bounce-back candidate for 2025