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The Houston Texans Have One Final Move To Make Before The 2026 Season
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- The Houston Texans Have One Final Move To Make Before The 2026 Season
The Houston Texans enter the 2026 season with one of the most complete rosters in the NFL. General Manager Nick Caserio has spent the last several years building a deep and talented team on both sides of the ball, and the result is a roster that appears capable of competing with anyone in the league. While there are strengths across the board, one position that has started to generate some concern during the offseason is inside linebacker.
That concern stems largely from the status of veteran linebacker E.J. Speed . The Texans re-signed Speed this offseason with the expectation that he would play a significant role in the middle of DeMeco Ryans ' defense. However, Speed suffered a torn quad and remains out indefinitely, creating uncertainty at a position that suddenly looks much thinner than it did just a few months ago.
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ESPN analyst Aaron Schatz recently highlighted the situation while discussing potential roster needs around the league.
"There aren't a lot of holes on Houston's roster, nor are there a lot of pending free agents for 2027 who need to be re-signed. However, the Texans could use some depth at linebacker since E.J. Speed tore his quad and is out indefinitely. There are a number of depth linebackers who can compete to be the third linebacker, including Jake Hansen , rookie Wade Woodaz and former Patriot Marte Mapu . An addition like Thompson might also make sense. He played 59% of defensive snaps for the Bills last season and had 56 tackles, but the Texans might also consider veterans such as former Raider Elandon Roberts or Mapu's former Patriots teammate Jahlani Tavai."
The Texans still have one of the NFL's premier linebackers in Azeez Al-Shaair , and Ryans has consistently gotten strong production from his linebacker room throughout his coaching career. Even so, Speed's injury places additional pressure on the players behind him to prove they can be reliable contributors if called upon.
Jake Hansen has experience in Houston's system and has been a valuable special teams contributor. Rookie Wade Woodaz brings developmental upside after a productive college career, while Marte Mapu offers versatility thanks to his ability to play multiple roles in the defensive front seven.
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Houston may ultimately decide that its current options are enough. The coaching staff has shown confidence in developing young talent, and training camp will provide opportunities for several players to earn larger roles. Still, when evaluating one of the league's most talented rosters, linebacker depth stands out as perhaps the only area where questions remain heading into the season.
