Texans 2026 NFL Schedule Released for C.J. Stroud, David Montgomery's Super Bowl Push

While the Houston Texans have reached the NFL playoffs in each of DeMeco Ryans' three years as head coach, a fourth trip to the postseason on its own is unlikely to be deemed a success in 2026.

The expectations for the team aren't Super Bowl or bust, but advancing past the divisional round would be a start. To help achieve that objective, the Texans signed Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith to bolster the offensive line, and they acquired David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions.

Here's the schedule ahead for Houston as it chases those ambitions.

Schedule

For the full schedule check out the team's website.

Analysis

The Texans might've lucked into a good year to face off with the AFC North.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers both have new coaches after being settled on the sidelines for years. The Steelers' hiring of Mike McCarthy was uninspiring, as is their pursuit of Aaron Rodgers for a second successive offseason. The Cincinnati Bengals didn't make any major improvements. And the Cleveland Browns are perpetually rebuilding.

Overall, Houston's opponents finished below .500 in 2025, but that obscures the reality of the team's schedule. The Tennessee Titans and New York Giants are doing some heavy lifting toward an overall record of 112-124-2.

The Texans have to play the Buffalo Bills, who will once again be in the AFC playoff hunt. They also have to hit the road to a face off with the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, all of whom are coming off postseason appearances.

Getting to the 10 or 11 wins that are likely to be the cutoff in the wild-card race won't be easy.

Pivotal Matchups

Any time Houston crosses paths with the Dallas Cowboys is a big deal if only for in-state bragging rights.

The Texans went 5-1 within the AFC South and 10-2 against conference foes a season ago. Those are the marks of a playoff team, and replicating both will go a long way toward punching a ticket to the postseason again.

Ultimately, avoiding another 0-3 start is what Ryans and his squad need most.

From Week 4 on, the Texans had little margin for error in 2025. They don't want to put themselves in a similar position. They need to handle their business much better between Weeks 1-3.