Analyst Exposes Ominous Future for Houston Texans

An NFL analyst has revealed a rather bleak future for the Houston Texans as they prepare for the playoffs.

Dec 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks up after a play during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Houston Texans won their second straight AFC South division title this season, but that doesn't mean they weren't one of the NFL's most disappointing teams.

Going into the year, the Texans were being lauded as the biggest threats to the Kansas City Chiefs' throne in the AFC. Now, they aren't even favored while hosting a playoff game in their own building.

Houston will be facing the Los Angeles Chargers for a Wild Card Round matchup at NRG Stadium this Saturday, and the general consensus is that the Chargers will defeat C.J. Stroud and Co.

Not only were the Texans not quite as good as initially advertised this season, but they have been absolutely ravaged by injuries, so not a whole lot of people like Houston's chances.

In fact, Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon is more focused on 2025 for the Texans than he is for them potentially upsetting Los Angeles and making a playoff run.

"This entire season in Houston defined 'sophomore slump,' and the Texans are only here because the rest of the AFC South was a mess," Gagnon wrote. They have the talent to beat the Los Angeles Chargers, especially with home-field advantage, but there's also a pretty glaring ceiling here. If I was a Texans fan, I'd already be concerning myself with how they fix this in 2025 more than relishing their chances this month."

As painful as it may sound, Gagnon is largely correct.

Houston will likely be without wide receiver Tank Dell for most—if not all—of next season thanks to the brutal knee injury he recently suffered, and fellow wide out Stefon Diggs is headed for free agency.

On top of that, the Texans are slated to have very minimal cap room going into the offseason, so it's going to be difficult for them to make any major additions.

The sky was once thought to bet the limit in Houston, but now, a plethora of questions exists about the Texans' suddenly murky future.