A look into whether C.J. Stroud is set up for success this upcoming season.
The Houston Texans are entering year three with C.J. Stroud at quarterback, and there are several reasons to debate whether or not he is set up for success throughout the 2025 season.
Offensive Weapons: Depth and Firepower
As far as weapons go, the Texans have done a good job surrounding their young quarterback with the pieces needed to produce on a consistent basis.
They already have their number one wide receiver in Nico Collins, who has grown into one of the best players in football at his position, to go along with Christian Kirk, who was acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this offseason.
Despite having two good wide receivers already in the building, the front office felt like they needed to add even more depth to the room, which turned into drafting Jayden Higgins in the second-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Jaylin Noel in the third-round.
Higgins and Noel were teammates at Iowa State, meaning they will come in and have immediate chemistry on and off the field.
They also have a proven veteran at tight end in Dalton Schultz, who is a solid player at his best, along with Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover, who are still proving themselves.
Ground Game: A Two-Headed Monster
Another strong position group that will be able to take pressure off Stroud is the running back room. Joe Mixon is their starter, and he was incredible last season, despite dealing with an ankle injury and poor offensive line play all year. Mixon is enough to handle the load, but in order to keep the talented runner fresh, they also added All-Pro running back Nick Chubb, creating one of the most interesting running back tandems in football at the moment.
Not only that, but they also have Dameon Pierce on the roster, who can provide depth in several areas.
Offensive Line: Work in Progress
Not only did Texans General Manager Nick Caserio completely overhaul the wide receiver room, they also did the same with the offensive line room. The Texans offensive line group has been horrendous throughout Stroud’s first two years in the league, and they just traded away their best player in Laremy Tunsil.
The good news is that Houston fired both their offensive coordinator, along with their offensive line coach after the 2024 season, and that in itself should lead to better results instantly.
The Texans drafted an offensive tackle in the second-round in Aireontae Ersery, and it would not be a surprise to see him starting at some point, along with Cam Robinson or Blake Fisher on the other side.
Houston also added several interior offensive lineman throughout free agency, and two of them could end up starting. Those two players are Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson, along with center Jake Andrews. Former first-round offensive tackle Tytus Howard is expected to slide inside to guard, where he has played well.
Coaching: Fresh Faces, Familiar Ties
As far as coaching goes, the Texans are set up for success under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Ryans came in during a rebuild, and provided juice to the organization, and has brought his team to the playoffs in consecutive years, winning two of them. Players actively want to come to Houston and play for him, and it is no surprise why.
Since DeMeco Ryans may be seen as a defensive minded head coach, and rightfully so, that makes their offensive staff that much more crucial towards their success.
The Texans hired former Los Angeles Rams tight ends coach Nick Caley to be their new offensive coordinator, and he also has ties to general manager Nick Caserio from their days in New England.
Caley is someone that many around the league believe is trending towards being a head coach in the league one day, and if he can turn the Texans offense around quickly, it would not be a surprise for that to become a reality sooner rather than later. Caley was seen as one of, if not the top candidate available throughout this offensive coordinator hiring cycle.
Now arguably the most important piece to the Texans success in 2025, Cole Popovich. Popovich was promoted from assistant offensive line coach, to the main guy in charge. Popovich also has ties to Caley from their days in New England, meaning their chemistry could build rather quickly.
Popovich is going to have a completely different philosophy from last season, and that is much needed for a group that struggled immensely. The Texans probably do not currently possess the talent on the offensive line to be a top group, but they could very well take a jump from one of the worst, to possibly middle of the pack, and that may be good enough for this Texans team to make a deep playoff run.
The Bottom Line
Overall, Stroud is set up for success, but the season largely depends on how the offensive line group performs on a consistent basis. Houston’s defense is stacked from top to bottom, they have a well above average group of weapons, and a good coaching staff, but none of that means anything if Stroud can not receive protection in the pocket.