Three Questions Texans Must Answer After Tytus Howard Trade

Howard's departure now certifies that the Texans will have at least one new starter on their offensive line next season. There's likely more moves to come to further shake up this unit, but Howard leaves a void at left guard that Nick Caserio will now have to fill.

It'll be much easier said than done for the Texans to not only fill the loss of Howard, who was not only their best offensive lineman last year, but their most versatile. He lined up at both guard spots and right tackle at some point in 2025, and was effective at all of them; a skillset that's a bit tough to find just anywhere on the offensive line market.

The most likely option to patch that left guard spot will come in the draft, perhaps with one of Houston's three day-two picks. Free agency also remains an option, but it feels more probable that the Texans want to get cheaper and younger in the trenches rather than hunt the bargain-bin veterans as they did last year.

2. Any Hopes of Ed Ingram Returning?

While we're on offensive line turnover for the Texans, the next big question facing their offensive front will be what lies ahead for Ed Ingram; Houston's second-most productive offensive lineman this past season, but now hits free agency next week and is likely to get some interest on the open market.

There's still a chance that the Texans opt to bring Ingram back if the price is right on his next deal. But the move of Howard and the unwillingness to pay him big money on an extension now make the idea of letting Ingram walk a bit more likely if the team is set on saving money at the guard position.

If Ingram is indeed out of the picture, that will leave at least two starting offensive linemen for the Texans to fill out for 2026, not including any aspired upgrades at the center position or any moves at tackle. That's a lot of change to be made for an offensive line that Nick Caserio himself claimed at the combine had the best year upfront since he's been in the building.

3. What's Next to Save Cap?

The Texans certainly aren't done navigating their cap space situation. There's still a few moves around the edges to be made in order to free up more money ahead of free agency, which could revolve around cutting a few veterans.

Joe Mixon is the most likely option to be released via a failed physical, which should give the Texans $8 million in cap savings. Veteran defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. could also be cut to save upwards of $4 million, which allows even further flexibility on the books. A couple of restructures for big contracts like Nico Collins, Derek Stingley, or Danielle Hunter could also be in play.

Simply put, the Texans aren't done making moves with free agency right around the corner. In reality, they're just getting started, which means you shouldn't count out Nick Caserio from making any further surprises in the coming days.