ESPN Reveals Texans’ Biggest Offseason Priority

The Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud managed to take care of business on the offensive side of the ball in 2024 by putting together a second-straight 10-7 finish on the regular season and their first back-to-back postseason appearance since 2019.

Yet, even with the success, the offense took a step back from what we saw during 2023.

The Texans passing offense ranked worse among the NFL in yards, touchdowns, and interceptions in 2024 compared to 2023, marking some steep regression from Stroud's rookie campaign. No one's questioning Stroud and his ability to be a franchise guy, but rather his surrounding cast.

As a result, ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime outlined a simple plan for the Texans and their potential offseason endeavors in three words: elevating C.J. Stroud.

"After throwing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023, Stroud finished this season with 3,727 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns," Bien-Aime wrote. This offseason is about putting him in a position to surpass his rookie totals. The Texans fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and hired former Rams passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Nick Caley to get a system better suited for Stroud and others. The next step is fixing an offensive line that gave up 52 sacks on Stroud."

The Texans, while reaching over .500 and landing a second-straight playoff appearance, ranked 19th among the NFL in scoring offense and 22nd in offensive yards.

Those lapses could be attributed to several factors. The wide receiver room was increasingly depleted by injuries as the season went on. The offensive line had some struggles, considering Stroud was the second-most sacked quarterback in the NFL next to Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, or maybe Stroud hitting a second-year wall played a part as well.

Regardless, the Texans need to see some steps forward on the offensive end in 2025. Those improvements start during the offseason.

Whether those moves come during free agency, via trade, or by piling up on offensive talent in the upcoming draft, maximizing the talent of your franchise quarterback while on his rookie deal is an extremely important opportunity to take advantage of.

And for the Texans' hopes of a third-straight playoff appearance in 2025, the aggressiveness has to remain on improving the offensive end. Time will tell if the front office in Houston will make it happen.

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