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Oct 1, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Former Houston Texans JJ Watt waves to the fans during his Ring Of Honor Ceremony at halftime during the game between the Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Texans Legends, Icons, and Surprises Named to SI’s Quarter-Century NFL Team

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Jacob Harrison | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Houston Texans have found some immense talent over the past quarter-century despite not being an active franchise for the entire 25 years. Still, it’s no less surprising that several Texans were featured on Sports Illustrated’s All-Quarter Century Team released on Monday.

We’ll tackle this in the order they appear on the teams. We’ll get to the players who were honorable mentions later.

No Surprise Here, JJ Watt Lands on the First-Team at Edge

First up, of course, is J.J. Watt. The soon-to-be Hall of Famer spent 10 seasons in Houston, where he picked up a franchise-leading 101 sacks, helped the team win its first playoff game, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and landed on five All-Pro teams.

Watt earned the second-most total votes for the Edge position for the team with 16. Julius Peppers, who recorded the most sacks (159.5) of any player over the past 25 years, had 17.

Obscure Texans Additions Make the Team

The next Texan featured certainly made the list for what he did before getting to Houston. Ed Reed tied with Troy Polamalu for the most votes at safety. Of course, Reed played in just seven games for the Texans after spending 11 unmatched seasons in Baltimore. Still, he wore a Texans uniform for a short period, so he’s worth mentioning.

Somewhat similarly, Shane Lechler made the list as the top punter. He too was known more for what he did before coming to Houston, but unlike Reed, enjoyed some success with the Texans. He was named to seven Pro Bowls and six All-Pro teams during his 13 seasons with the Raiders. In 2013, he joined the Texans and spent five years continuing to be one of the most consistent punters the NFL has ever seen.

In his final year at 41 years old, Lechler led the league in punting yards with 4,507 while averaging 49 yards per boot, the highest mark he had since 2011, his final All-Pro season with the Raiders. He retired with a higher Hall of Fame monitor score from Pro Football Reference than the only other punter in the Hall, Ray Guy.

Texans Legends Earn Honorable Mentions

Back to those who were mentioned outside of the official teams, of course, the Texans would have a couple of receivers worth a few votes. DeAndre Hopkins and Andre Johnson each received two votes.

Johnson was the team’s first Hall of Famer, excluding Ed Reed. Like Johnson, Hopkins was at one point in the conversation as the league’s top wideout. Due to longevity, Johnson is ahead of Hopkins in every meaningful stat in Texans history, but Hopkins’ numbers stack up comfortably all the same.

Finally, Jacoby Jones received one vote as a punt returner. Jones became more of a household name for his kickoff returns after making the Pro Bowl for the Baltimore Ravens in 2012, playing a remarkable part in their Super Bowl run that year. Still, the Texans’ 2007 third-round pick had three of his four career punt return scores with the Texans in his five seasons with the franchise.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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