After falling short of the ultimate goal — which is to win the Super Bowl — the Houston Texans are ready to re-tool their roster and get back after it in 2025.
Houston decided to end its relationship with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and is casting a wide net to find his replacement. Once that's done, it will turn its attention to the roster.
While general manager Nick Caserio will surely be active in free agency, and the Texans have been drafting well, they'll also need some returning players to step into larger roles. With that in mind, here are four players who will be ready to do this in 2025.
Cade Stover, TE
Cade Stover was selected in the fourth round out of Ohio State and played well as a rookie. During the regular season, he recorded 15 receptions on 22 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. He appeared in just one playoff game, picking up 28 yards on four receptions against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Unfortunately, he suffered a broken collarbone in that game. The injury might be the only thing that could prevent him from taking on a larger role in year two.
Tommy Togiai, DT
Another Ohio State product, Tommy Togiai began his career as a fourth-round pick for the Cleveland Browns in 2021. He played there for two seasons before splitting time with three franchises in 2023.
Togiai hit the open market in 2024 and was signed to the Houston practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in November, playing in the final eight games. He rose to the occasion once given a shot, finishing with 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks. His best game was in Week 17 when he had seven tackles and a half-sack against the Ravens.
He continued to play well in the postseason, recording two tackles and a sack against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Togiai flashed enough potential to remain a fixture in their defensive line rotation next season.
Xavier Hutchinson, WR
With several injuries throughout the wide receiver corps this year, the Texans had to dig deep. That meant Xavier Hutchinson was given more time on the field in his second season and he made the most of every opportunity.
Hutchinson recorded 117 yards on 12 receptions, and had a knack for making plays on third down. In the postseason, he was even more impressive with 86 yards on five receptions. He proved against the Chiefs that he can be counted on and that should help him secure more targets entering his third year in the league.
Dameon Pierce, RB
As a rookie, Dameon Pierce was the top back in Houston. He had 939 yards and four touchdowns but has since fallen out of favor. This season, he was given just 40 rushing attempts, but was impressive with 293 yards and two touchdowns.
Pierce proved himself in Week 18 with 176 yards and a touchdown on 19 rushing attempts against the Tennessee Titans. That included a long of 92 yards.
Despite his average of 7.3 yards per attempt, Pierce was often an afterthought. Even in the postseason, he had just six rushing attempts for 25 yards.
Considering how much wear they put on Joe Mixon this season, the Texans need to lean on Pierce more in 2025.
