Houston Texans · Franchise era 3 of 5
A brilliant rise unravels: the Houston Texans story
The story in one sentence
Houston found dynamic quarterback play and won two more divisions before injuries, damaging personnel decisions and off-field crisis ended the core.
Quarterback promise meets organizational collapse
Deshaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the full reset.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2017
What came before
Wade Phillips's defense and Foster's zone running produced consecutive division titles, while Watt became the era's defining defensive player.
2019-01-05
Wild Card: Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans
- 15TradeAugust 31, 2019
August 31, 2019
The Laremy Tunsil trade tree that accelerated two rebuilds
The Texans needed immediate protection for Deshaun Watson. The Dolphins accepted a teardown package and repeatedly moved the premium selections.
To HOU2020PICKround asset+1 assets
To MIA20201STround asset+2 assetsTunsil to HoustonHOU receives Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, 2020 fourth + 1 moreMIA receives Johnson Bademosi, Julien Davenport, 2020 first · No. 26 + 2 more9 original assets · 3 outcomes tracedOpen trade → 2020-01-04
Wild Card: Buffalo Bills vs Houston Texans
2020-01-12
Divisional Round: Houston Texans vs Kansas City Chiefs
- 20TradeMarch 20, 2020
March 20, 2020
The trade that sent DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona
The Cardinals wanted an elite target for Kyler Murray; Houston chose a running back and draft capital rather than extend its All-Pro receiver.
To ARI2020PICKround assetTo HOU20202NDround asset2021PICKround assetDeAndre Hopkins to ArizonaARI receives DeAndre Hopkins, 2020 fourth-round pickHOU receives David Johnson, 2020 2nd-round pick, 2021 fourth-round pick5 original assets · 3 outcomes tracedOpen trade → After 2020
What came next
The Texans accepted a ground-up rebuild, converted veteran value into draft capital and searched for the leadership structure to use it.
The core