NFL Insider Makes Strong Claim on Houston Texans' Offensive Line

The Houston Texans did some significant work to their offensive line over the past few months of what was a busy offseason for this franchise, giving this group of protection a breath of fresh air heading into a big 2025 season.

However, with a ton of change taking place upfront, it remains a bit of an unknown as to how well (or how poorly) this offensive line could truly pan out for next season, considering Houston already ranked at the bottom of the league for sacks allowed in 2024. If those changes don't result in the type of positive turnout this front office expects, it could get ugly for C.J. Stroud and this scoring attack.

Simply, the offensive line is a major factor for the Texans' ceiling and floor for next season, and in the eyes of Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, it could be the most important position group for a team's individual success across the NFL.

"I don’t think there’s a single position group in the NFL more pivotal to its team’s success in 2025 than the Texans’ offensive line," Breer said when breaking down the Texans' offseason. "Laremy Tunsil’s gone, in large part to try to fix a room that got toxic last year, as the team’s culture on offense struggled to keep up with what was happening on defense. So who comes out of the crowd of Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, Blake Fisher, Aireontae Ersery, Laken Tomlinson, Juice Scruggs, Jarrett Patterson, Jake Andrews, Ed Ingram and Tytus Howard (who’s probably the only lock to start in the group) will go a long way toward setting Houston’s ceiling. If it comes together, this could be a Super Bowl team. If it falls apart, look out."

Jun 10, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (78) stands on the field on day one of minicamp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The biggest change Houston will have to patch obviously centers upon the left tackle spot with the void that Tunsil effectively left amid the blockbuster trade to send him to the Washington Commanders, but it doesn't stop there.

New faces have entered the mix on the interior, and even at right tackle, that has the chance to leave the Texans with an almost entirely brand-new five-man combination on their offensive line compared to how last season started.

On one hand, compared to their bottom-of-league results from last year, it seems like the only direction Houston could go is up, but after shipping out a Pro-Bowl talent at left tackle and putting together a new unit with next to no chemistry, it's fair to question whether the Texans offense could have significant growing pains soon to come early next season.

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) and wide receiver Xavier Johnson (89) interact during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It's largely a wait-and-see scenario for Stroud and this Texans offense as Week One of the season nears, but depending on how this protection shakes out could have major implications for how Houston may finish the year.

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