25 Bold Predictions for How Texans' Historic 25th Season Will Go

The Houston Texans' start to their 2026 regular season campaign is right around the corner. That means it'll mark the beginning of this franchise's 25th year in the league since their inception back in 2002.

Our 25th Season schedule is set

🤘 | @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/j4O8IXjDtA
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 14, 2026

And it's a season that the Texans are sure to be faced with some of their highest expectations to date. Their talent around the roster might be the best it's ever been, they're fresh off of three-straight postseason appearances, and now might be ready to finally take that next step to be one of the league's premier contenders around.

If that jump can come to reality for the Texans after an offseason of roster tweaks, a truly special season might be in store on the horizon where this team reaches heights they've never seen before.

With the Texans' kickoff against the Buffalo Bills for Week 1 now rapidly closing in, let's sort through a batch of 25 predictions for how the season could go as the franchise embarks on its 25th season.

25 Bold Predictions as the Texans Begin Their 25th Season

1. The Texans win their first three games of the season: Last year, the Texans fell into an 0-3 hole that left them climbing out of that deficit for most of the year moving forward. Houston will do all they can to ensure that same result doesn't happen again, and could lead to a 3-0 start.

2. Josh Allen is sacked six times in season opener: By extension of the Texans' strong start to the season, that'll begin in Week 1's outing against the Buffalo Bills. Houston's defense will pick up from where they left off in 2025, taking down Josh Allen a half-dozen times en route to a victory.

3. Houston doesn't lose a game in the U.S. through the bye: I'm feeling a 6-1 start for the Texans before they arrive at their Week 8 bye. Their most obvious opportunity to take on a loss comes when they travel overseas to face their division rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Even if they drop that, winning six of seven is a great start to be had.

4. Tank Dell won't appear in-game until Week 9: Dell has already been placed on IR for the first four weeks. And Houston's bye sits just four weeks out from when he's first eligible to return. It's not unrealistic to expect the Texans taking things cautiously for the return of Dell, using his entire 21-day practice window, and activating him for Week 9 against the LA Chargers.

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (1) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

5. M.J. Stewart ends up missing entire season: One name who might not be as fortunate as it relates to injuries this season is veteran safety M.J. Stewart, who remains on the PUP list with the quad injury suffered from 2025 that he's still recovering from. It's been quiet on his front, and could be a hint of what his season might look like once getting deeper into the year.

6. C.J. Stroud reaches 4,000+ passing yards: Stroud hasn't logged over 4,000 passing yards since his rookie season. So this outcome would be a major success. If he can stay healthy through the entire season and average over 236 passing yards a game, he'll get there. That feels wildly achievable, especially with an improved supporting cast around him.

7. Jaylin Noel finishes as Texans' second-leading wideout: Perhaps it's bullish to expect the Texans' primary returner to end up as Houston's No. 2 target in the wide receiver room. But if he can carve out a role in Houston's slot, which lacks competition for him to face, he'll naturally be on the field a good amount and could take advantage of them in a big way.

8. Nico Collins sets career-high in reception yards: If Stroud is on the field and putting up big numbers, Nico Collins will be a primary beneficiary of that production. His career-high in reception yards is 1,297, but besting that mark could be well within the cards as long as the surrounding offense progresses as expected.

Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) and teammates enters the field out of the tunnel before the Texans play the Las Vegas Raiders at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

9. Woody Marks gets more scrimmage yards than last season: As Marks had 911 scrimmage yards last season and is projected behind David Montgomery in the Texans' backfield, this would be a wildly successful year for Marks. But he looked great in preseason, can be a dual-threat in the air and on the ground, and might be in position for even stronger numbers in a complementary role.

10. Texans beat Steelers by 24+ in Week 13: The Texans will quickly get a rematch from last year's Wild Card outing against Pittsburgh on the road as they were in the postseason. What if Houston were able to run up the score even further than they did last time around?

11. Commanders beat Houston in a Week 14 trap game: Every team in the NFL is prone to falling to a classic trap game. This one against the Commanders on the road, after the events of a potential dominant win over the Steelers a week prior, might be a good candidate for that.

12. Marlin Klein rises to TE2 by the end of the year: Many––including myself––initially questioned the Texans' decision to draft Klein in the second round of this offseason's draft when they did it. But with his upside as a physical blocker and receiver, and a positive preseason, he may have an inside track as Houston's TE2 once the season comes to a close.

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans tight end Marlin Klein (83) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

13. Wyatt Teller doesn't start a single game: Houston has made an interesting call on their offensive front entering the season by not starting their veteran signing from this summer in Wyatt Teller. He hasn't performed well enough leading up to Week 1, and there's no guarantees that turns around once the season gets underway. Zero regular season starts really might be in play.

14. Trent Brown finishes the season at right tackle: As Braden Smith starts the season on IR with a foot injury, veteran receiver Trent Brown now becomes the Texans' starting right tackle until further notice. He's had some health concerns throughout his career, though if he stays on the field, he's made a serious case to be Houston's best option at the position when everyone's healthy.

15. Tommy Togiai doesn't end the season without an extension: Houston's been aggressive in getting every starter on their defense extended on a new deal beyond this season––except for one: defensive tackle Tommy Togiai. However, Togiai did manage to net an extension his way in the middle of his breakout 2025 season, so perhaps the Texans could decide to operate similarly this year.

11. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter combine for 30+ sacks: These two elite pass-rushers combined for their best season as a duo yet in 2025. Anderson logged 13 total sacks, while Hunter led the team with a whopping 15; the second-highest total of his career. A combined 30 sacks from these two guys alone feels more than possible this year.

Nov 16, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) celebrates with defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) after his sack of Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward (1) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

16. Kai Kroeger can't hold onto the punter job for the entire season: Kroeger won the Texans' punting job with ease this training camp. But if he struggles early in the year, there's nothing saying Houston can't move on quickly. As an unproven second-year starter, time will tell if his consistency will hold up from start to finish of the season.

17. Ka'imi Fairbairn goes back-to-back years without missing XP: There have only been two seasons in which Fairbairn has connected on each of his extra points in a given season: 2022 and his most recent 2025 campaign. Considering he's fresh off his best career season, I'm predicting another perfect year on extra points.

18. Kayshon Boutte doesn't top his Patriots receiving totals: With Boutte joining a Texans' offense without Jayden Higgins, there's a route for him to slide into their No. 2 pass-catching duties, and top his 500-plus yards with the New England Patriots in 2024 and 2025. But Houston also does love to spread out their targets outside of Nico Collins. So topping that 500-yard mark may not be a shoo-in.

19. Texans go an undefeated 8-0 at home: If Houston can get past the chaos of their first four games, which includes three homestands, an undefeated result at home could be in play for the Texans by the end of the year. Only two home games beyond their first three are not divisional meetings: that's Week 7 against the New York Giants and Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Oct 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans stands on the sidelines during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

20. Texans land franchise's first-ever first-round bye: By doing the math from our existing predictions, a 3-0 start, a 6-1 record before the bye, an 8-0 mark at home, and a win in Pittsburgh brings Houston to at least 11 wins. With just two to three more wins, it'd be hard to envision the Texans not landing their franchise's first-ever bye as the one-seed.

22. Texans face the Patriots in the postseason again–– and win: If this matchup does come to fruition in the postseason, it can offer some much-needed catharsis for Houston after the events of last season. Especially if the Texans are at home in Reliant Stadium, this team would be more fired up than ever to right the wrongs of their last playoff loss.

23. Jalen Pitre gets first-ever All-Pro nod: The Texans' nickel defender was one of Houston's bigger Pro Bowl snubs from last season. This season, though, Houston's underrated star feels motivated to earn his due respect. Dethroning Cooper DeJean from his first-team All-Pro spot can do just that.

24. Matt Burke lands head coaching job after the season: If this Texans defense holds up its end of the bargain this year as expected, Houston's defensive playcaller, Matt Burke, is bound to get some head coaching looks in due time. After four years in the building, perhaps this is his final year before finally having the resume to make that leap.

25. Texans win Super Bowl 61 over the Rams: This Texans team has the talent––especially on the defensive side of the ball––to make their Super Bowl aspirations come to fruition. Putting together a win in the Rams' home of Los Angeles would make the journey even sweeter, and there's no team in Houston's franchise history better equipped to do just that than this one.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google