HOUSTON \u2013 When the Texans walked off the field in January at frigid Arrowhead Stadium after a crushing divisional round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the locker room atmosphere was somber and filled with frustration.<\/p>\n
It was also filled with a healthy perspective considering the fact that the Texans are a young football team with a lot of returning talent.<\/p>\n
The Texans engineered a dramatic turnaround during coach DeMeco Ryans\u2019 first season. Under the leadership of the former Pro Bowl linebacker, the Texans went from 3-13-1 the previous year under Lovie Smith to 11-8 with Ryans and winning the AFC South division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. They finished with an identical record last season, including one playoff win in each of the past two years.<\/p>\n
Although there was a lot of optimistic talk about a potential Super Bowl run last season, the Texans\u2019 playoff run ultimately ended at the same stage of the postseason for the sixth time in franchise history in the second round of the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Flash forward to today and the Texans approach the start of the regular season brimming with optimism about a two-time defending division champion led by Ryans, a former Pro Football Writers of America NFL Coach of the Year. The roster is headlined by former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback C.J. Stroud, Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins and three Pro Bowl defenders in bookends Will Anderson Jr., a former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Danielle Hunter, All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. and team captain and middle linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we\u2019re hoping. That\u2019s why we\u2019re excited about the season coming up,\u201d Texans chair and CEO Cal McNair, voted unanimously as the franchise\u2019s principal owner two years ago at the annual league meetings, told KPRC 2. \u201cWatch these guys play and how they come together and it\u2019s a long season. The cliches are true, one game at a time. We gotta stay focused, but I think we got a shot at doing some things we haven\u2019t done before and really excited about where we go this year.”<\/p>\n
Months after the defeat to eventual Super Bowl runner-up Kansas City, in the middle of another busy offseason headlined by trading Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, trading for wide receiver Christian Kirk and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, overhauling the offensive line, making changes to the offensive coaching staff and signing Stingley Jr. and Hunter to blockbuster contract extensions, the Texans have set their ambitions on making a deep playoff run. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik was dismissed and replaced by Nick Caley, who is implementing a new playbook with influences from his time with the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots. Offensive line coach Chris Strausser was also fired and replaced by Cole Popovich, who was promoted to offensive line coach-run game coordinator.<\/p>\n
The Texans traded away a five-time Pro Bowl left tackle in Tunsil, largely for financial reasons due to his desire for another top-of-the-market contract extension along with the opportunity to acquire valuable draft capital. They replaced Tunsil with veteran left tackle Cam Robinson at a lower price with a one year, $14.5 million contract.<\/p>\n
The offensive line has undergone dramatic changes. The Texans didn\u2019t retain four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency as he joined the New England Patriots via a three-year, $69 million deal after having conversations with him and not having the same financial expectations. <\/p>\n
They drafted Iowa State standout wide receivers Jayden Higgins, who became the first second-round draft pick in league history to sign a fully guaranteed contract with an $11.7 million deal, and Jaylin Noel.<\/p>\n
One of the major reasons why Texans ownership is confident in the outlook is the collaboration between Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio as they work closely together on every roster move and key decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it started in the interview process and you saw how they thought alike and really made a good team there and luckily it seems to be working out a couple years into it,\u201d said Hannah McNair, the Texans\u2019 charitable foundation vice president and Cal McNair\u2019s wife. \u201cBut we\u2019re seeing good results on the field and really happy for the way they\u2019re working together.\u201d<\/p>\n
How good are the Texans and are they poised for a deep playoff run? <\/p>\n
It remains to be seen if they\u2019ll emerge beyond being the Kings of the AFC South for the third year in a row. Like every NFL team and year, the season starts at zero for the Texans. <\/p>\n
Among the things the team is working through is a lingering foot-ankle injury for Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon suffered away from the Texans with him progressing from a walking boot, to wearing a brace to having increased mobility over the summer to, now, still being out indefinitely while rehabbing and navigating a somehwat complicated medical issue. <\/p>\n
Mixon is not considered a lock at all to be ready for the season-opener against the Los Angeles Rams, per league sources. The Texans will take their time with managing his recovery and will not rush him back onto the field after missing the entire offseason and the majority of training camp so far. They can lean on Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, Dare Ogunbowale and Woody Marks in his absence.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, the Texans, few would dispute, are built to contend.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, not really sure what the next step is,\u201d Caserio said at the start of training camp. \u201cWe have a good football team so we been one of the best eight teams in the league the last two years. What\u2019s going to happen beyond that, I mean, nobody has any idea. I don\u2019t have any idea. Nobody else has any idea. Anybody that says they do is probably like wrong. So, can we put ourselves a position each week to give ourselves an opportunity to win.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the end result is, I mean, we\u2019re focused on the work, the process, and that\u2019s not going to change. So, you have to put a significant amount of time and energy and effort into developing your foundation, building your football team up. In the end it\u2019s about what happens on Sunday. So the focus is going to be on the Rams. Anything beyond that, I mean, is a big waste of time. I don\u2019t spend much time on it. DeMeco doesn\u2019t spend much time on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the reasons why the Texans shifted training camp for five days and four practices at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia went beyond taking advantage of the the cooler temperatures and modern training facilities. <\/p>\n
The Texans traveled north to further build camaraderie and make the football team an even closer one. <\/p>\n
That was reflected by the emotional reaction from players when tight end Brevin Jordan injured his right knee during the Texans\u2019 first practice back in an emotional scene in Houston after a preseason road game against the Minnesota Vikings. This is the second year in a row Jordan suffered a serious injury after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last season and being placed on season-ending injured reserve. Now, he\u2019s out for the season again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a brotherhood and you can see that,\u201d Hannah McNair said. \u201cUnfortunately, we lost Brevin for the season. But what you saw outside of that is the brotherhood that they all have together. So that is really encouraging to see in the culture. And that\u2019s brought to you from DeMeco right? DeMeco has that and he set the tone for that entire group. And I love that feeling with all of them.”<\/p>\n
The Texans like the training facility and convenience of The Greenbrier, which is owned and operated by Republican U.S. Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia.<\/p>\n
They are open to the idea of returning to The Greenbrier for future training camps and have held conversations about potentially going back, per Cal McNair.<\/p>\n
“We will work through that in our budgeting process,” Cal McNair said. \u201cBut yeah, I know we\u2019re talking to them, and we\u2019ll figure out what\u2019s best for the team, and then work from there.”<\/p>\n
Two years ago, the Texans hit on both of their first-round draft picks in a major way.<\/p>\n
Stroud, a second overall pick and former Heisman Trophy winner from Ohio State, emerged as the top offensive rookie in the NFL. Caserio traded back into the first round to draft Anderson after a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to land Anderson, who became the top defensive rookie in the league.<\/p>\n
Both will be eligible for long-term contracts next offseason following their third seasons, respectively, in the NFL, under the collective bargaining agreement. The Texans have a strong track record of signing their homegrown players to new deals, including Stingley and nickel Jalen Pitre, who inked a three-year, $42.6 million extension in the spring.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, they\u2019ve been great,\u201d Hannah McNair said of Stroud and Anderson. \u201cThat was one of the most fun drafts I\u2019ve ever been a part of in my life. That was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
In terms of building out the roster, that\u2019s in the hands of Caserio and Ryans. The Texans remain in talks with their partners, Harris County and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, regarding renovations at NRG Stadium with a lease set to expire in 2032. The building needs work, but it does have $35 million new video boards with quadruple the volume for content, a clear and loud sound system and 120 new food items for concessions and club levels.<\/p>\n
The priority for the Texans regarding the multi-use, 72,220 capacity stadium built in 2002 at a cost of $352 million is to renovate the facility, which is in need of extensive and expensive repairs and general improvements.<\/p>\n
The Texans, led by new team president Mike Tomon on the business side, continue to explore potential sites for a brand-new standalone training facility they want to anchor to retail and entertainment like The Dallas Cowboys\u2019 Star facility in Frisco. The primary goal is to have a better training facility for the players and coaches as well as being able to have all of their staff, including sales and other departments, under the same roof.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the training facility, I think it\u2019s a pretty unique situation,\u201d Tomon said. \u201cYou know, the value that the Texans can bring to a community, to the dirt, so to speak. We really see that there\u2019s a great way that we can impact the community in a great way, to make sure that it\u2019s the destination. It\u2019s an asset for the community, for the folks who are there, and with that comes revenue opportunities. We\u2019re seeing that there\u2019s other organizations who have looked at it similarly when you start seeing how important or how much how popular entertainment districts have become.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re great opportunities for corporate partners to engage, they\u2019re great opportunities for other retail, local retail, national retail, etc. So you know there could be a meaningful revenue opportunity depending on how how you situate it. I think districts in general are interesting to us because of the impact they have on the community. To do a district the right way can be a real benefit for generations to come for the community, and that\u2019s what interests us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the birth of the Texans as a franchise, Janice McNair has been instrumental to the growth of the organization.<\/p>\n
Now, the co-founder and senior chair, the widow of the late owner and founder Bob McNair, is being inducted into the Texans\u2019 Ring of Honor. She will be honored with a halftime ceremony Nov. 9 when the Texans play the Denver Broncos at NRG Stadium.<\/p>\n
McNair joins Bob McNair, Andre Johnson and J.J. Watt as the fourth member of the club\u2019s Ring of Honor. Johnson became the first inductee in 2017, followed by Bob McNair in 2019 and Watt in 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the easiest decisions we\u2019ve ever made so she totally deserves it she was there from the beginning beginning with that and then she was a principal owner for a number of years and you know just has been a tremendous asset to the city and the team and really all of us,” Cal McNair said. \u201cShe\u2019s getting excited about it. She\u2019s getting fitted for her red jacket, and it\u2019s the same cloth as the other guys have been.\u201d]<\/p>\n
\u201cHer reaction was tears and then her first response was, \u2018I don\u2019t deserve this,\u2019\u201d Hannah McNair said. \u201cAnd then, of course, you start to convince her and tell her all the reasons why she\u2019s so deserving. And I think the one that got her was, \u2018You\u2019ll be up there with Bob.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
For the McNair family, gameday is an extremely big deal. There\u2019s a lot of excitement surrounding the team each week. A former Cy-Fair and University of Texas football player, McNair will rewatch the Texans games a few times.<\/p>\n
“Cal is able to eat breakfast,” Hannah McNair said. \u201cI can\u2019t eat breakfast because my nerves are so shot. I\u2019m just ready to go. nervous, and that\u2019s how the morning goes. But I\u2019m also getting the kids ready. They\u2019re excited. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhat jersey are they gonna wear? So, there\u2019s a lot of excitement around the house, but really it starts the night before. He gets really quiet the night before because he just starts to get in the zone about what\u2019s going on. And then after the games, he\u2019ll go home and rewatch the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Texans have assembled a talented defense that includes Hunter, Anderson, Stingley, Al-Shaair, Kamari Lassiter, Calen Bullock and C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury and expected back, perhaps during the early portion of the regular season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t wait to see the defense,\u201d McNair said. \u201cI\u2019m a defensive guy, and I like to run the ball. So, those are not maybe the most exciting things for the fans. But, for me, to see great defense and then be able to run the ball, that kind of brings joy to this guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The McNair family is bullish on the present and the future as well as the attitude around the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if you work in football, you better love football because there\u2019s really not a day off,\u201d Hannah McNair said. \u201cEverybody I run into in this organization in different capacities, they love this organization, they love the sport, and so they\u2019re in here on their days off. They\u2019re working, answering their phones on the weekends, so you really love to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n
#Texans<\/a> Cal McNair, Hannah McNair on DeMeco Ryans-Nick Caserio collab, outlook for defending AFC South champs, and more ‘I think we’ve got a shot at doing some things we haven’t done before. Really excited about where we go this year’ @KPRC2<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/EZ95VsdpmM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The Texans are convinced they\u2019re getting close to reaching their goals on and off the field.<\/p>\n \u201cI really thought we were going to go all the way this year, and I felt it in every part of me, and you could feel it from the team, they believed it as well, and the belief is throughout the organization,\u201d said Hannah McNair in the spring during the NFL owners meetings at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. \u201cWhen we lost in Kansas City, that hurt a lot because we were right there and I thought we were going .. It was just a belief throughout the entire organization.\u201d<\/p>\n PALM BEACH, Fla. — #Texans<\/a> principal owner Cal McNair on state of team as far as contending in #NFL<\/a> playoffs ‘This year, coming off the playoff loss, we felt we were pretty darn close. I think we’re looking to take another step and we’re excited to see what happens.’ @KPRC2<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/cm5hBCLLsG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n PALM BEACH, Fla. – #Texans<\/a> foundation vice president Hannah McNair on feeling team was close last season to making Super Bowl run: ‘I really thought we were going to go all the way this year, and I felt it in every part of me, and you could feel it from the team, they believed it\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/cmducrZP4Z<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n PALM BEACH, Fla. — #Texans<\/a> principal owner Cal McNair on state of team as far as contending in #NFL<\/a> playoffs ‘This year, coming off the playoff loss, we felt we were pretty darn close. I think we’re looking to take another step and we’re excited to see what happens.’ @KPRC2<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/cm5hBCLLsG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 1, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The Texans have a deep core of young players led by Stroud, Anderson and Stingley.<\/p>\n \u201cThe relentless mindset is so key and it\u2019s all over our building right now and it\u2019s really fun,\u201d Hannah McNair said. \u201cAnd Nick keeps drafting really well. It\u2019s a great problem to have that we can\u2019t keep everyone, but that speaks to Nick and DeMeco and getting the right guys in the building.\u201d<\/p>\n The Texans, as they did with Stingley, want to keep extending as many young players as possible that are drafted by Caserio and developed by Ryans and his coaching staff.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re setting the standard,\u201d Cal McNair said. \u201cThey have come in and set the bar at a really high level. They\u2019re great teammates and great leaders and we\u2019re really happy to embrace that and get young players and continue to see them evolve and mature. We\u2019re really looking forward to seeing where that goes.\u201d<\/p>\n Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com<\/a> <\/p>\n Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n