The Houston Texans entered last season as one of the teams to watch in the NFL.
Following quarterback C.J. Stroud’s impressive rookie campaign, DeMeco Ryans’ team seemed poised to take another leap.
That didn’t turn out to be the case.
While they still made the playoffs, they didn’t take the big step forward most thought they would after some major offseason moves.
Now, with another promising roster, Ryans is as excited as he’s ever been about his team.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the former NFL linebacker gushed about first-year standouts Aireontae Ersery, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
“I’m really, really fired up about the outlook of those rookies. Tae (Ersery) has done a really nice job being competitive every week, getting better. Both receivers (Higgins and Noel) have shined and gotten better as camp has went along. So, I’m excited to see these guys in action. Not shying away from throwing them out there. I think all three guys can help us. They can help our offense, be the type of offense that I expect us to be. So, I’m not shying away from putting those guys out there. I think those three rookies will definitely shine for us,” Ryans said.
#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on fast starts for rookies Aireontae Ersery, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel @KPRC2
“I'm really, really fired up about the outlook of those rookies. ‘Tae’ has done a really nice job being competitive every week, getting better. Both receivers have…
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 25, 2025
The Texans have done an outstanding job of using their assets to put together a competitive roster.
They made the most of what they got in return for Deshaun Watson, building a playoff team in almost no time.
Of course, they need to take another leap and prove that they can hold their own against Super Bowl contenders, which hasn’t been the case so far.
Stroud also has to prove that his first season in the league wasn’t a fluke and that he can bounce back from some second-year regression.
But given the moves the team made this offseason, the Texans should again be a team to keep an eye on this season.
More than that, they’ve stacked enough youth to make sure they’ll be a contender for more years down the line.
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