Texans Linked to Veteran RB Interest in Free Agency

The Houston Texans might be primed for an investment at running back during this year's free agency period, particularly to add a veteran runner to add into their backfield mix.

According to a recent batch of rumors coming out of the combine from ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Texans were among the teams linked with interest in adding a veteran running back via free agency, alongside a couple of other potential suitors.

"Teams I expect to see gauge the free agent RB market include the Chiefs, Texans and Giants, among others," Graziano wrote.

As for candidates that could be in play for the Texans or other teams interested in upgrades via free agency, a few names came to light for Graziano, including top guys like Kenneth Walker III and Travis Etienne, and other options who may be looking to test free agency from their respective teams in Tyler Allgeier and Rico Dowdle.

But regardless, adding some firepower in the run game appears to be on the Texans' agenda for this offseason, and a great way of doing so would be to cash in on one of the better running backs on the open market.

The Texans have been rumored to look into some upgrades for their running back room ever since the status surrounding Joe Mixon has remained cloudy heading into this offseason. The veteran running back could have questions on whether he's good to go for the 2026 season, and inevitably should prompt Nick Caserio and Co. to look elsewhere.

Last offseason, the Texans decided to bring in a rookie runner in the form of Woody Marks and added Nick Chubb on a one-year deal to help fill the void of Mixon. That led to Houston being ranked in the bottom half of the NFL's rushing offenses, and leaves room to improve for 2026.

That turns the Texans' focus to the free agent market once again to find those aspired upgrades, but this year, there's a good chance that Houston will invest a bit more into the backfield than what was seen this time last year.

Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) warms up before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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However, the Texans will need to create a bit more cap flexibility on the books in order to offer big money for a running back if that were a premier offseason focus.

Right now, Houston is projected to be a little under $8 million over the cap heading into the new league year, which will require a few cuts and restructures for that money to become available. Joe Mixon's release alone should shed $8 million via cap savings, which offers a good start, but still leaves more work to do.

The new league year officially kicks off on March 11th, marking the time when Houston will need to get under the cap per NFL rules, also marking the beginning of free agency when that pursuit of veteran running back talent can then be investigated further.