Jan. 21, 2026, 3:58 p.m. CT
With a 28-16 loss to New England in the divisional round, the Houston Texans have wrapped their 2025 season. The future remains bright behind a No. 1 defense and stable weaponry, but the pressure will be on C.J. Stroud entering a crucial fourth season.
After overachieving in head coach DeMeco Ryans’ first season, Stroud has regressed each offseason. Former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. has consistently improved, going from 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year to an All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Meanwhile, Stroud tossed five interceptions and finished with seven turnovers in the playoffs, failing to guide the Texans to a conference title appearance despite having an elite defense.
Plenty of pieces are in place, mainly on the defensive side. Still, general manager Nick Caserio must ensure that his team, fresh off a third divisional round loss, doesn’t squander the opportunity to elevate its chances of finally overtaking the playoff potential in the final year before paying the top players big-time Monday.
Now that the Texans’ 2025 season is in the rear-view mirror, here are some important dates to know heading into the 2026 offseason:
Caserio will meet with the media one final time to recap the season and prepare for the next steps of fixing the franchise following a third straight loss in the divisional round.
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The NFL draft starts in Mobile, Ala., with the Senior Bowl. Plenty of players selected by Houston in years past, including wide receivers Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell, running back Dameon Pierce and nickel defender Jalen Pitre, all participated in the game before being selected by Caserio in April.
The 2026 Pro Bowl Games will be held on Feb. 3 at Levi Stadium, the site of Super Bowl 60. The Bears have four representatives with wide receiver Nico Collins, defensive end Will Anderson Jr and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
The Texans return to Lucas Oil Stadium for the annual combine, though they won’t pick until No. 28. Early positions of need to watch are interior offensive line, offensive tackle, safety, running back and tight end.
The deadline to use the franchise or transition tag is March 4. The only name that would make sense for the Texans to keep on the books would be Sheldon Rankins, who finished with  35 tackles, three sacks and 25 pressures at defensive tackle.
Early tampering begins on March 9, creating a two-day period when teams can come to terms on deals before they become official on March 11. The Texans are slated to be roughly $2.9 million over the salary cap at present, but Caserio will likely make some moves to get that nunber expand in their favor.
A majority of moves made should be used internally on extending talents like Anderson and re-signing Rankins, but outside of that, Houston shouldn’t be too active in free agency. They’ll look to make some moves to shore up depth and positions of need