C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Getty
C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans celebrates after a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.
The Houston Texans were short-handed entering the AFC Divisional Playoffs, and C.J. Stroud paid the price as they became even more so during the contest. This offseason, the Texans could be in a position to swing a trade hedging against that happening again.
That loss to the New England Patriots exposed how thin the Texans were in terms of reliable playmakers for their young QB.
They could rectify that with a move for Sam LaPorta.
Texans Floated as Sam LaPorta Trade Destination
Sam LaPorta Jackson Meeks
GettySam LaPorta #87 of the Detroit Lions runs the ball for a touchdown in the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano noted that the Detroit Lions face a slew of contract extension decisions, and noted uncertainty around their ability to secure everyone. That could expose a player like LaPorta to the trade market, where a team like the Texans would be able to pounce.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak listed the Texans among the teams that could be fits for LaPorta, who has caught 186 passes for 2,104 yards and 20 touchdowns through three NFL seasons.
This Heavy Sports Texans trade proposal would send draft capital to Detroit for LaPorta.
Texans get:
Sam LaPorta
Lions get:
Graziano called the odds of LaPorta being traded “extremely thin” at 10%, given their “win-now window.” That does not mean the Texans should not make an offer or that the Lions would not listen. There are reasons to have some concerns over LaPorta moving forward.
His production and availability have both diminished in each of the last two seasons.
He is also entering the final year of his four-year, $9.4 million contract and is due for a raise, while the Texans are over the salary cap entering this offseason.
Texans Need TE Help
Cade Stover, Houston Texans
GettyCade Stover #87 of the Houston Texans runs onto the field before facing the Carolina Panthers.
The Texans cycled through tight ends behind starter Dalton Schultz, who has asserted that his exit in the AFC Divisional Playoffs was a critical factor in Houston’s loss. Pairing a true receiving threat like LaPorta with the more traditional tight end in Schultz could make sense.
“LaPorta had back surgery this past season (489 receiving yards, three touchdowns) and hasn’t looked as explosive as he did as a rookie (889 yards, 10 scores in 2023),” Solak wrote in the article. “He remains one of the most exciting young receivers at the position. Teams looking for a high-volume receiving tight end might be willing to spend a draft pick now on LaPorta, instead of risking a bidding war in free agency in 2027 should he come back to form.”
Losing Stover, a fourth-round pick in 2024, would sting.
His contract runs longer moving forward than any other tight end on the Texans’ roster. Schultz is extension-eligible this offseason. The Texans also have oft-injured 2021 fifth-round pick Brevin Jordan under contract.
Beyond them, 2025 seventh-rounder Luke Lachey and former undrafted free agent Layne Pryor are the only other tight ends signed for 2026.
Stover has flashed when on the field, but injuries capped him in 2025.
Texans’ Offense Bucked Trend in 2025
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
GettyDalton Schultz #86 of the Houston Texans warms up before taking on the Carolina Panthers.
The Texans may feel comfortable with their group, given Schultz’s presence and their having several developmental options on hand. They also used multiple tight ends less than any other team in the league this past season, per Sharp Football Analysis.
They finished the regular season with a 15.3% rate, with the Los Angeles Chargers (16.1%) the only other team in the league that was below the 20% mark.
The San Francisco 49ers had the third-lowest rate at 21.1%.
Whether or not the Texans’ light use of tight ends when the NFL is trending to going heavier is a result of their personnel or preference looms as the biggest factor in a potential trade–or free agency move–for an established tight end like LaPorta this offseason.