HOUSTON — As the Houston Texans opened training camp Thursday morning, it was hard to ignore the juxtaposition surrounding this NFL franchise.
Angry, gray clouds loomed over the team’s practice fields, threatening another storm in a seemingly endless string of storms since Hurricane Beryl hit the city on July 8. In a parking lot away, hundreds of utility trailers, trucks and power employees were gathering for another day of restoring service to the 2.2 million residents who lost power in the sweltering July heat. That number included a large portion of the Texans organization, from the coaching staff to the players to a multitude of team employees. Even the team’s home field was affected, with huge strands of NRG Stadium’s roof torn off by 90-mile-per-hour winds.
As you can imagine, all of that has made power a big topic of conversation in this city right now — who has it, who lost it, and who is responsible for the mess it left behind. And in the middle of all of this, you have the Texans entering one of the most anticipated seasons in team history. Featuring a team that has had the opposite of a power drain this offseason, bringing intense attention to a roster with an embarrassing amount of power.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud is a preseason MVP candidate. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is all but assured of a head coaching job next offseason. And the Texans as a franchise? Well, if they’re not a surprise Super Bowl contender right now, that seems inevitable in the coming months.
That’s how good these Texans can be. They’re neck-deep in local and national hype — or “rat poison,” as head coach DeMeco Ryans once called it, borrowing colorful terminology from former Alabama head coach Nick Saban. But Ryans is right. To be sure, the early plaudits are there and hard to ignore. From recognition of a front office that masterfully rebuilt and balanced the depth chart with young and veteran talent, to a coaching staff that’s sure to be attacked by other franchises, to a roster that should have the rest of the AFC worried.
From a broader perspective, the implication is simple. Like the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals before them, Houston is a team that should worry the Kansas City Chiefs. If this were a heavyweight boxing circuit, the Texans have the talent and momentum of a No. 1 contender. Not that the Texans want to hear that.
“What do you expect from yourself? That’s what I asked our guys yesterday,” Ryans said. “It’s not about what people say from the outside. That doesn’t change who you are. It’s about who you think you are, what you think you can accomplish and achieve as a player. That’s all I care about. Expectations are always internally driven. So if our guys think well of themselves, we’ll be on the right track. That’s how I want guys to think.”
“What’s being said outside the building? It has no impact on anything we do,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “Talk never won games. Expectations never won games. Good football and good execution win games. That’s what it’s going to come down to. The rest, honestly, is a huge waste of time for us to waste time on things that don’t matter or that we don’t control.”
It’s a predictable and familiar mantra from Caserio, who spent 20 years inside the New England Patriots hammering away at the personnel ranks and honing their belief system. Not to mention the managerial and evaluative skills that became a vital necessity when Caserio found himself on the front lines of a Deshaun Watson disaster that would have crippled most franchises for a decade, if not longer. But Caserio and his front office not only weathered multiple storms within the organization, they emerged with a trinity of individuals now established as the cornerstones for everything bigger and better: Ryans as head coach, Stroud at quarterback and defensive back Will Anderson Jr., who’s already earned a reputation as the team’s “mini-DeMeco,” a nickname that testifies to the leadership and talent that made him a team captain as a rookie last season.
Of course, that trio isn’t alone. The depth chart is filled with young, impactful talent that’s ascending faster than anyone could have anticipated. From Anderson, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre on defense, to Stroud and wide receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell on offense. In between, the roster is fortified by groups of veterans that range from All-Pro-level talent to key rotation pieces. On offense, that depth of talent and leadership includes left tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Stefon Diggs, tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Joe Mixon. On defense, it’s defensive back Danielle Hunter, defensive tackle Denico Autry and safety Jimmie Ward. And more additions aren’t out of the question, either. The Texans still have enough cap space — more than $15 million — to tighten up the roster with some late veteran additions before the season. And make no mistake, they’re looking.
If anything, the biggest issues facing the Texans might be figuring out how to maximize the talent on offense and keep everyone fed. Collins, Diggs and Dell could all be 1,000-yard receivers if given the target. Mixon still has the talent to be a 1,000-yard rusher on three attempts. And despite modest numbers in 2023, Schultz still has the ability to be a top-10 tight end in the league. And more than anything, that puts Stroud squarely in an MVP line if he avoids injuries. If everyone is healthy and the offensive line lives up to its talent, one of two things seems likely: Either the Texans are going to have a record-breaking offense in 2024 or the skill-position players are going to have to get used to sharing their opportunities. Maybe both, with Diggs being the element that helps push the boundaries of the playbook.
As Stroud said, “Stef is someone who can definitely open up your playbook. But we’ve got all those guys around. He’ll say that, too. So, it’s a five-headed monster. It’s definitely great to just have a ton of options.”
All that talent, and how it will come to fruition in 2024, is the journey that began Thursday: Improve on a 10-win season that no one expected, reshape the AFC’s competitive structure so that the AFC South is a powerhouse again, face the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 and prove Stroud can go all the places Josh Allen has gone — and more. Then build a schedule that pits the Texans against the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 16 and 17, which should be a defining moment on the road to the Super Bowl.
This is what it means for Houston to be a force again. Enough to attract the attention of Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the rest of the Chiefs. Whether they want to hear it or not, the Texans are making a case for being the next heavyweight contender for Kansas City’s dominance in the AFC and the Super Bowl.
