Even though the Houston Texans won a playoff game in 2024, it was still a disappointing year.
The offensive regression is big reason why the Texans didn't live up to expectations and on a more granular level, the offensive line was the catalyst behind the unit's struggles as a whole.
Per ESPN, the Texans offensive line finished 22nd in pass block win rate (58%) and 31st in run block win rate (68%). C.J. Stroud was sacked 52 times, the second-most out of all quarterbacks, and the ground game averaged 4.4 yards per carry, which was right about mid-pack at No. 15.
So it's clear the Texans need to make some upgrades to the front five in 2025, especially the guard positions, where Stroud was pressured at the third-highest rate on the left side and the 11th highest-rate on the right side, per Pro Football Focus.
One name that could really help is future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin. However, there's one important hurdle that has to be cleared, first, before he could do that and it's whether or not he wants to keep playing football in 2025 and/or beyond.
"It was just a weird year for everyone," Martin told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram during Super Bowl week. "For whatever reason this year, something just didn't click. It's just difficult being in and out of the lineup for a while - it's tough. That's the first time I've ever been on IR.
". . . I think I've done a good job in my career in focusing on what I was doing in my career at that time. What I will try to do now is figure out what the next chapter of my life looks like, whether that's playing football in Dallas, playing football somewhere else, retiring, whatever that may be."
Martin was solid in 2024 before his season-ending injury and he is still a very capable player. He'd be a good fit in new offensive coordinator Nick Caley's offense and he wouldn't have to move far if he joined up with the Texans. He may not even have to really "move", either, as Houston is around 250 miles from Dallas.
Big prediction for the offseason: High expectations weren't met in 2024, and the Texans will scramble to fix their offensive line accordingly. If Dallas' Zack Martin doesn't retire, he's a great candidate to fill a guard spot in Houston. If Ryan Kelly gets out of Indianapolis, he could slide into the center spot for the Texans. Expect at least one big-ticket veteran to fill the interior offensive line, and they will also use their first-round pick on the offensive line. It's expected to be a great class for developmental tackles. - Ben Solak, ESPN
Martin also won't break the bank, by any means, which is good for a Texans team that's going to have to make some decisions in order to get healthy cap-wise.
If the seven-time All-Pro doesn't retire then the Texans should really take a long look into bringing him in. Especially if they want to get back on track with Stroud and the rest of the offense.
