Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are the youngest franchise in the NFL, established in 1999 and playing their first season in 2002. They were awarded to Houston businessman Bob McNair after the city lost the Oilers to Tennessee. The team plays at NRG Stadium, a domed venue with a retractable roof that opened as Reliant Stadium. The Texans compete in the AFC South division, alongside the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans. Owned by the McNair family, the franchise was valued at $4.7 billion in 2022, ranking eleventh among NFL teams. Despite seven division titles, the Texans have never reached the Super Bowl or an AFC Championship Game.[edit]

The Texans were born from the ashes of the Oilers' departure. When Bud Adams moved the Oilers to Tennessee after the 1996 season, Houston was left without an NFL team for the first time since the Oilers joined the league in 1960. Bob McNair, a billionaire energy executive, led the charge to bring football back. The NFL awarded Houston the 32nd franchise in October 1999, and the team name Texans was chosen through a fan contest. The inaugural season in 2002 under head coach Dom Capers ended with a 4-12 record, but the foundation was laid.

The franchise's early years were a struggle, but the arrival of players like Andre Johnson (drafted 2003) and DeMeco Ryans (2006) provided building blocks. Gary Kubiak took over as head coach in 2006 and led the team to its first winning season in 2009. The Texans finally broke through in 2011, winning the AFC South with a 10-6 record and earning their first playoff berth. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round before falling to the Baltimore Ravens. That season also saw J.J. Watt emerge as a defensive force, winning the first of his three Defensive Player of the Year awards.

The 2010s were marked by consistency under Bill O'Brien, who coached from 2014 to 2020 and won four division titles. However, playoff success remained elusive; the Texans never advanced past the Divisional round. A low point came in 2020 when O'Brien traded star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, leading to a disastrous 4-12 season. The franchise then went through a turbulent period with one-and-done head coaches David Culley and Lovie Smith. The hiring of DeMeco Ryans in 2023, a former Texans linebacker and fan favorite, sparked a revival. In 2024, Ryans led the team to a 10-7 record and a division title, powered by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and a dominant defense. The Texans won a Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Chargers before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round.[edit]