Feb. 2, 2026, 10:54 a.m. CT
Is this the make-or-break season for the Houston Texans under C.J. Stroud?
It better given the cap space.
The Texans are fresh off a solid 2025 season where they went from worst to first with a 12-5 record, marking the highest win total since 2012 under then-coach Gary Kubiak. Much like the first three seasons under Stroud and DeMeco Ryans, the Texans won the wild-card round, only to come up short against a Super Bowl contender, this time being AFC representative New England.
Now, the focus shifts to the offseason, where general manager Nick Caserio and Ryans will look to bolster the roster and finally compete for a spot in the AFC title game. Cap space is scarce, though several restructures and extensions on contracts could free up over $30 million in cap space, thus giving Houston a longer runway to spend in March on fixing the offensive line and run game.
All of this speculation for now, and Caserio has plenty of work to do in shoring up the salary cap this offseason, heading into free agency in March. The good news? The NFL has projected an expanded salary cap for the 2026 season, and it’s another significant increase that would benefit all 32 teams.
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Where does that benefit or hurt the Texans’ infrastructure entering negotiations with players on the payroll?
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL’s salary cap is projected to be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million, making it a $20 million more than last season. This comes on the heels of the league expanding the cap space from $255.4 million ahead of the 2024 season.
For the Texans, the move would open up over $20 million toward the current cap space, which currently sits at -$2 million ahead of free agency. The Texans are expected to hit under the mark with new deals in motion, but that’s not expected to come until after the start of the offseason workouts later this month.
The Texans are one of 11 teams that are currently in the negative metric of cap space. With the move, Houston would actually end up having $17.2 million in space to play with in free agency.
Who are some potential Texans players with potential restructure contracts?
The Texans might not move every player, but names like wide receiver Nico Collins, defensive end Danielle Hunter, tight end Dalton Schultz and cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. all could have years added to their current deals to push money down the line. Last season, the Texans extended Hunter to a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension for 2026, thus giving him a $12 million raise, but alleviating over $6 million in cap space.
Schultz, who set the franchise record for single-season receptions for a tight end, is entering the final year of his three-year extension. A new deal could defer money toward 2027 while keeping him as a security blanket for Stroud another year.
The same goes for Collins, who is fresh off his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign. He’s not expected to be gone anytime soon, but the Texans could be wise to extend him one more year, thus keeping him around through at least 2028 while he works on getting his first 1,300-yard season off NRG Drive.
Who are some potential Texans salary cap casualties?
Say the Texans are trying to cut space and free up room for top targets on the market. Some of the potential biggest cuts would include Pro Bowl running back ($10 million cap hit), Schultz ($15.6 million cap hit), offensive lineman Tytus Howard ($27.2 million) and defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. ($5.8 million cap hit). All four players aren’t owed any guaranteed money after this season, so each move would actually open up space.
Howard, who has played four different positions on the line, isn’t expected to be on the move. Schultz again feels like more of an extension candidate rather than a cap cut liability. Edwards and Mixon, who suffered season-ending injuries, feel like the top two options to be on the chopping block if Caserio doesn’t plan on restructuring their current deals.
As it stands today, Houston would gain $12.6 million if the release happened before the June 1-cutdown date.