Texans' Next Trade Candidate Could Be a Fan Favorite

Throughout the 2026 offseason, the Houston Texans have already made a handful of trades to shake up the roster one way or another.

They brought in a new upgrade to their running back room with David Montgomery, shipped out offensive lineman Tytus Howard to the Cleveland Browns after a tenure of eight years, and even just earlier this week, made a trade with the New England Patriots for linebacker Marte Mapu.

However, with the draft looming at the end of April and the start of next season still months away, there's still ample opportunity for Nick Caserio and the Texans front office to stay active on the trade market if they so choose.

And if the Texans were eager to make some further roster changes, there might be one name onboard to circle as someone who could be their next trade candidate: wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson.

Could Texans Shop Xavier Hutchinson on Trade Market?

During Hutchinson's 2025 season, the Texans clearly saw enough in what was his third-year campaign to hand him the biggest share of snaps and targets seen in his career, and he capitalized on those pretty well.

He finished the season posting a career-high 35 receptions, 428 yards and three touchdowns, finding his way into becoming a notable piece of the Texans' receiver room next to Nico Collins and the rising Jayden Higgins.

Yet his long-term future in Houston could start to get a little interesting when looking ahead. Hutchinson enters the 2026 season on the last year of his rookie deal and will be slated for a new contract from Houston this time next year as he hits the free agent market.

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson (19) looks on in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Based on his production from last season, there's no doubt that if the Texans were interested in his services, he'd be worthy of that second contract.

At the same time, there's also a world where if they don’t sign him, Houston could shop him around the market to receiver-needy teams in hopes of claiming value on him before it’s too late.

Any package revolving around Hutchinson likely wouldn't include more than a day three pick. That isn't much to write home about, though claiming that value to land more future draft flexibility, even if minor, is a move that an executive like Caserio is historically prone to making.

Shipping Hutchinson out in a trade would also save them upwards of $3.6 million against the cap; a small, yet potentially impactful cap savings move if Houston had further plans to spend that money elsewhere.

Without Hutchinson, the Texans receiver room gets a little thinner, but there's a good chance that claiming a rookie wideout with one of their eight selections in the draft could fill the void he leaves, combined with more targets being handed to both Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel.

A trade may also open the door for what could be a breakout second season from 2025 second rounder Jayden Higgins after he started to catch fire towards the end of last year, though that might already be in the works as is with Hutchinson on the roster.

Of course, if the value isn't there for the taking on the market for a guy like Hutchinson, rest assured that the Texans will welcome him back with open arms for another season to try and capitalize on a career-best 2025.

However, if a few teams are interested in striking a deal for him, don't be surprised if things go in the other direction either.

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