NFL Exec Issues Blunt Prediction on Texans’ Season

The Houston Texans head into the 2025 NFL season as the favorites to come out of the AFC South once again with a new-and-improved roster to surround C.J. Stroud heading into his third year at the helm. But could the results of this campaign look largely similar to what the Texans have faced across the previous two?

In the eyes of one NFL executive, that could be the outcome that ultimately unravels for the Texans.

The Athletic recently polled a pool of over 30 league executives on an array of topics heading into the new NFL season, with one question centering on finding a team primed to fall short of expectations for 2025.

And while the Texans weren't quite the lead vote-getters for the subject (that was none other than the Detroit Lions), they did find their way into the category with three votes, paired with one of those executives placing Houston in the mix having some clearly outlined expectations for how their season will go.

“They'll win the division,” the executive said of the Texans' season, “but they're not Super Bowl contenders.”

On one hand, that division win still makes for a playoff berth for the Texans in what would be their third-straight year of claiming the AFC South. On another, it puts Houston in the same position they've been since C.J. Stroud and DeMeco Ryans came into town: playoff contenders, but not Super Bowl contenders.

The Texans did a good chunk of work this offseason to offset that potential outcome this season. The offensive line C.J. Stroud will have in front of him is much different than what he had last year, for better or for worse. The pass-catching corps will also have a bit of a reboot in store from 2024, besides Nico Collins. The defense will be slightly tweaked, but the core components to make that group an elite one are still intact.