Houston Texans report to training camp today: 4 reasons the NFL should be worried about them in 2024

The Houston Texans, both rookies and veterans, will report to training camp today at their practice facility next to NRG Stadium. That’s bad news for the rest of the NFL, because other than reigning champion Kansas City, no other team has more reason to be excited about the upcoming season. Not only are the Texans already one of the best teams in the AFC, but they’re also the league’s deepest under-25 talent pool. Here are four reasons why the rest of the NFL should be worried about Houston in 2024.

1. Franchise QB CJ Stroud is just starting to warm up

The biggest reason the Texans are a threat is at the game’s most important position, where CJ Stroud is coming off what may be the most impressive rookie season in modern NFL history for a quarterback. Despite his lack of experience, Stroud led the league in touchdown-to-interception ratio and passing yards per game among QBs with at least nine starts. Stroud’s game is already remarkably polished for his age, and he should only get better with more experience playing at the highest level.

History is also on Stroud and Houston’s side. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Stroud is one of eight quarterbacks to win a playoff game as a rookie since 1950. Five of the previous seven won another the following year, and two went on to win the Super Bowl.

Last season, CJ Stroud became the eighth rookie QB since 1950 to win a playoff game. Good news for Houston? Five of the previous seven QBs also won a playoff game in their second season, and two of them, Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson, won the Super Bowl, according to the stats. @EpKap. https://t.co/EqLLpI6fkE

–Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 17, 2024

2. Head coach DeMeco Ryans is the next Sean McVay

There’s no guarantee that Stroud will continue to improve and develop, but one of the reasons we’re confident he’ll only get better is the coaching around him. Specifically, the Texans appear to have found the next great young head coach in the NFL in 39-year-old DeMeco Ryans, who helped turn what was the worst team in the AFC into an underdog in a single season. Ryans’ immediate success is reminiscent of Sean McVay’s rapid rise with the Rams. In his first year, he led them to an 11-5 record, a huge improvement over their 4-12 record the year before. After that great start, McVay led the Rams to the Super Bowl the following season. That’s a high bar to follow, but Ryans’ meteoric rise and choice of uniforms make him look a lot like the next Sean McVay.

3. Stefon Diggs takes Houston’s offense to the next level

Real contenders need more than just a high-quality head coach/QB combination. They also need a strong supporting cast to lean on. Houston already had a pretty solid team last season, but since then, general manager Nick Caserio has gone out of his way to improve it in major ways. The biggest move they made was trading for star receiver Stefon Diggs, who lands atop what might be the best receiver room in football. At the very least, Diggs will draw attention and open up opportunities for Nico Collins and Tank Dell, who are both coming off excellent 2023 seasons. Diggs is likely to continue to post at least 1,000 yards and six touchdowns, as he has every year since 2018. Add in tight end Dalton Schultz and running back Joe Mixon, and the Texans have surrounded Stroud with plenty of weapons at the skill positions to make a deep playoff run.

4. Their defensive line is going to be a problem

The only major potential flaw in this stew is Houston’s offensive line, which is ranked among the worst in the NFL in 2024. If offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik can get around that, the sky will be the limit for this team. However, they certainly don’t have to worry about the other side of the line of scrimmage, as the Texans have significantly bolstered their defensive line. While they lost Jonathan Greenard to the Vikings in free agency, they’ve since added two huge new pieces to replace him, which is considered a significant upgrade. Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter will now flank the other side opposite Defensive Rookie of the Year winner Will Anderson Jr., and on the interior, the highly underrated Denico Autry will also provide some punch. On paper, this looks like one of the best defensive lines in the league.

Looking back, the Texans might consider adding a little more experience to their offensive line, but no roster is perfect and their current outlook is as good as it gets for a young team. You have been warned.