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The Houston Texans entered the 2025 NFL offseason with high hopes of turning promise into postseason consistency. Armed with a franchise quarterback in CJ Stroud and a feisty young defense, the pieces were theoretically in place for a playoff push. However, an underwhelming minicamp has put several veterans on notice. With a wave of promising rookies gunning for reps, roster spots are far from guaranteed. Two wide receivers, once expected to be pivotal to the Texans’ rise, now find themselves at the center of serious cut or trade rumors.
The offseason started a bit rocky for the Texans, as their biggest weakness became even worse. They had one of the worst offensive lines in 2024, which played a major role in Stroud’s sophomore slump. Houston responded by trading away left tackle Laremy Tunsil. He allowed the second-lowest pressure rate at the position but also a league-leading 17 penalties.
Sure, the Texans got good value from Washington for Tunsil. However, current starting left tackle Cam Robinson is a massive downgrade. They also swapped guard Kenyon Green for safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. In addition, they signed veteran Laken Tomlinson and made a trade with the Vikings for Ed Ingram.
Houston got the better player in the deal, but they weakened an already weak unit while adding to a secondary filled with talent. Christian Kirk may have been the Texans’ best addition this offseason because they got him for next to nothing. More on him later, though.
The Texans’ draft class was the front office’s saving grace in the offseason.. Second-round pick Aireontae Ersery is a mountain of a man, and he has starting upside in the NFL. They selected a pair of productive Iowa State wide receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Note that Stefon Diggs is gone and Tank Dell is expected to miss a chunk of the upcoming season.
Houston also inked contract extensions for superstar cornerback Derek Stingley Jr and versatile safety Jalen Pitre. Both are foundational pieces of the secondary. It was smart to lock them down long term. Now, while the defense looks solid, the competition on offense, particularly at wide receiver, could lead to some difficult veteran decisions in the coming weeks.
Here we’ll try to look at the two Houston Texans players who may be in danger of getting cut after their 2025 minicamp.
When the Texans landed Christian Kirk in a quiet trade this offseason, it felt like a low-risk steal. The former Jaguars standout is still just 28 and had been a reliable weapon when healthy. But “when healthy” is the key phrase. Kirk is coming off a season-ending collarbone injury and didn’t look 100 percent during minicamp drills. Even more concerning? Houston may not need him as much as it initially seemed.
The Texans used two of their top three picks on Higgins and Noel. Both have shown early chemistry with Stroud and flashed big-play potential in 7-on-7 work. Higgins,...
