The Kansas City Chiefs are once again Super Bowl champions, meaning everyone else can begin their pursuit to take that title away from them. In 2023, the Houston Texans emerged as the fastest-rising team in the sport and a potential troublemaker in the AFC.
However, leaping from feisty playoff participant to legitimate Super Bowl contender is no small task. General manager Nick Caserio has his work cut out in front of him, and with legitimate resources at his disposal, there is room to make the requisite trades, signings, and picks to ensure Houston stays atop the AFC South.
There’s no guarantee the Texans hit on those investments, but one thing is for sure. They have the most important piece of the puzzle. Quarterback C.J. Stroud is the franchise quarterback the organization has so desperately needed and by default makes them dangerous.
For now, they remain outside of the elite. In ESPN’s way-too-early power rankings, Houston ranked ninth, behind the Baltimore Ravens, Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Miami Dolphins in the AFC.
“Their window to maximize Stroud’s rookie contract is now,” DJ Bien-Aime wrote. “But also, the organization has the most free agents (30) entering the offseason … The 2024 Texans definitely will look different.”
Just how different is up to Caserio, but the good news is that high-profile free agents like edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn want to return.
