Watching the defensive bloodbath that was Super Bowl 60 on Sunday night, all of you Houston Texans fans out there had to be thinking the same thing I was thinking — 9-0 at the half, 12-0 after three quarters, this feels like the Houston Texans kind of game!

Indeed, there was a ton of what the kids call FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) going on in my living room. If the version of C.J. Stroud that finished the regular season on a nine game winning streak shows up this past Sunday, alongside the usual Texans’ defense, maybe the Texans don’t win that game, but they certainly put up a better fight than the Patriots did. 

Look, the reality is that no other football team on the planet was beating the Seahawks this past Sunday. They are that well coached, their defense is that dialed in, and if Sam Darnold isn’t turning the ball over, the Seahawks are nearly impossible to beat. So perhaps the Texans lose in a more competitive game, but I’d have welcomed that, if for no other reason than it means the Texans finally got out of the divisional round of the AFC playoffs. 

The question then becomes “What do the Texans need to do to get on the Seahawks level?” There are moves and decisions they can make that remove all the contingencies, and make them an even playing partner to the best team in football. They’re closer than you think! Here are five things I would do this offseason to accomplish that goal:

Draft a running back with one of your first three picks in the draft

 This is a factoid that probably requires its own article, but the Houston Texans have managed to have a different player lead them in carries in each of the last eight seasons. I can’t imagine there is another team, certainly not one that’s won five division titles in those eight seasons, that can claim that. This must stop. They need to find a young, talented back to take on the lead back workload. The Texans have the 28th, 38th, and 59th selections in this coming draft. Trading up for Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, who should go in the top 15, or drafting his teammate Jadarian Price with one of those second round picks are my preferences. 

Sign a veteran guard or center

Meanwhile, you need better players to block for whoever is toting the rock. In particular, you need better guards and a better center. Left guard was a circus for this team all season, and Jake Andrews does the best with what God gave him to play center. There are some big time free agents out there on the interior of the offensive line. Names like center Tyler Linderbaum, who will admittedly be pricey, and guard Isaac Seumalu should be on the shopping list. They won’t be able to replace all three spots, and bringing right guard Ed Ingram back on a reasonable deal is certainly in play, but improvement must occur. 

Draft a defensive tackle with another one of your first three picks

The Texans’ solution at defensive tackle since DeMeco Ryans arrived in 2023 has been to sign veteran, journeyman types to 1-year or 2-year deals with lower end salaries. This has worked fine, because the Texans seem to find the right types of guys. Well, it’s time they upgrade their approach to that position, and use one of those first three selections of theirs on a young, vicious defensive tackle. That position is one of Ryans’ favorite groups, and adding a young stud to play inside of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter would be a very “Seahawk” thing to do. 

Sift through the middle tier of veteran secondary free agents

The Texans have the best starting secondary in football. Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley are the best corner tandem in the league, and Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre are playmakers at safety and nickel, respectively. However, the drop off from these four to whoever has to replace them in case of an injury is far too precipitous. Sure, there will be an inevitable drop off from four Pro Bowl caliber players, but the Texans must find some veterans as upgrades to Trenton Smith as the third corner, and guys like M.J. Stewart and Jaylen Reed at safety.

Bring back Case Keenum in some capacity 

While he has played more good football than people care to give him credit for right now, C.J. Stroud has had his fair share of issues over the last two seasons. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Stroud’s issues were so profound, in the areas of body language and decision making, that you could hypothesize that the issues were more mental than physical. I think Stroud misses Case Keenum. Keenum was here in 2023 as a backup quarterback, but everything that we heard about that quarterback room that season was that Case was like a de facto coach in the room. I think bringing Keenum back as either an assistant coach, or another season of backup quarterbacking would be ideal for Stroud. 

This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.

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