Houston Texans guard Ed Ingram Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Free Agency Decision That Will Shape Texans Offseason

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 8:07 AM ET

The Houston Texans are looking to make some changes to the offensive line in the offseason, but it remains to be seen what exactly the team will look to do.

One of the decisions the Texans will have to make is the future of Ed Ingram, who served as the starting right guard this season. He started 14 games for the Texans in his first season with the team after three years with the Minnesota Vikings. ESPN reporter D.J. Bien-Aime dove into Ingram's upcoming free agency and gave his two cents on whether the Texans would re-sign him or not.

"The Texans' trade in the 2025 offseason for the former 2022 second-round pick was met with skepticism, citing his benching during his final season with the Vikings. But he blossomed in Houston, allowing the 12th lowest pressure rate (6.4) among guards with at least 400 pass block snaps. He played a vital offensive line role for a group that allowed quarterback C.J. Stroud to be sacked only 23 times, a steep drop from the 2024 season in which he was sacked 52 times," Bien-Aime wrote.

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Texans Have Big Decision With Ed Ingram

Ingram was one of the better parts of the offensive line this season, but the position group is still in need of improvement. It would be a tough start to rebuild the offensive line while removing one of its best links in the position group.

Ingram may have earned himself a multi-year deal in free agency this offseason and the Texans have to figure out whether or not they want to be the team to offer him the best deal. There should be some competitive market around the league, but the Texans should definitely be interested in bringing him back to Houston.

If Ingram doesn't end up returning to the Texans, it will be a big loss for the team and it will make their intentions very clear for the start of the draft. They would likely consider taking an interior offensive lineman with or without Ingram on the roster, but his absence would definitely heighten the team's need to add someone in the trenches. It would also give the team reason to target other veteran guards that could be looking for new contracts around the league.

Free agency is set to begin in the middle of March when the new league year begins.

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

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