The Houston Texans have been one of the most successful teams in the NFL over the last three seasons. I know that is a weird thing to say considering the franchise has not won a Super Bowl, been to a Super Bowl, or even been to an AFC Championship Game, but they are one of the few organizations that have advanced in the postseason in each of the last three years.
Houston has had more success than 85% of the league, but the franchise is facing a hump: the Divisional round of the postseason. The group has lost in the same spot in three consecutive years, and the franchise is trying to address its weaknesses in order to fix this shortcoming.
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So far during the 2026 offseason, General Manager Nick Caserio has done a great job of addressing the offensive line in free agency, and he also upgraded the running back room by trading for David Montgomery. The Texans may still look at the offensive line in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but the moves so far in the offseason have freed up the organization a little bit when it comes to the draft.
There is no denying that the Houston roster has gotten better and healthier, with players like Tank Dell returning in 2026. Despite these offseason moves, a healthier roster, and the franchise possessing three picks through the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Texans did not make the cut as a team that The Athletic sees as positioned to go on a run to Super Bowl LXI.
The publication listed five franchises positioned to run in the Super Bowl during the 2026 season, ranked from worst to best: Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers. The Pittsburgh Steelers were also listed as an honorable mention.
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Denver, LA, and San Francisco are making arguments, and it is fair to say they may have a better chance of winning Super Bowl LXI. However, Houston should be considered to be in the same stratosphere as Buffalo in the AFC. The defense is certainly better, and the Texans have owned Josh Allen in the past two meetings between the teams. Kansas City is also a shocker. The organization has a recent history, but the team was not good at all in 2026, and Patrick Mahomes could miss a game or two to begin the season. Then the Steelers being listed as an honorable mention over the Texans is a complete and utter joke.