Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) carries the ball against the Cleveland Browns during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)AP
No team was more aggressive in positioning themselves as Super Bowl contenders this offseason than the Houston Texans. Still, there are players who need to prove something despite the splash moves.
A “make-or-break” year is different with every player. But it really boils down to how that player performs compared to what’s expected of him and if he lives up to his price tag. Here’s a list of the three Texans who have “make-or-break” years in 2024
Dameon Pierce
Running back Dameon Pierce looked like a promising rookie after rushing for 939 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. His season ended early with an ankle injury in 2022, and he hasn’t been the same since. His yards-per-carry dropped from 4.3 yards in 2022 to 2.9 in 2023 and he eventually lost the starting gig to Devin Singletary.
He’ll be behind Joe Mixon on the depth chart, but Texans coach DeMeco Ryans called the pair a “one-two punch” earlier this offseason. He has another chance to show off the explosiveness he had in 2022, and a world where he eventually passes Mixon as Houston’s go-to back shouldn’t be out of the question. Pierce is the younger back with much less wear and tear (Mixon has 1,854 career touches to Pierce’s 409). But if he has another year like last, his career will likely be as a depth piece for varying teams.
Tytus Howard
Houston Texans offensive lineman Tytus Howard is under contract for the next three seasons, but his positioning on the team got interesting this offseason. Howard has spent most of his career at right tackle (and his Twitter/X bio says he wants to continue that), but he’s also spent some time at left guard. Howard only played in seven games last season because of injuries. Houston then drafted Notre Dame right tackle Blake Fisher in the second round (59th overall) in April.
“I think we’ve always been a believer that you can’t have enough tackles on your football team,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said after Day 2 of the NFL Draft. “Tytus [Howard] and [Laremy Tunsil] are good football players, you need three or four tackles that you feel can go out there and play.”
Howard signed a three-year, $56 million contract with the Texans and he’ll have the job as long as he stays healthy and continues his solid play. A down year at right tackle wouldn’t necessarily break Howard, either. He could find a home at left guard, where he started 15 games in 2021. But he clearly wants to be a right tackle, and now there’s a young suitor waiting his turn and keeping the sixth-year lineman honest.
Stefon Diggs
Nobody can take away from the excellence Stefon Diggs has shown throughout his NFL career. He’s been one of the league’s best wide receivers for over half a decade. There’s also no doubt he will be a positive addition for C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ offense in 2024.
The concern comes from the back half of his 2023 season with the Buffalo Bills. He didn’t have over 100 receiving yards in any of his final 13 games with Buffalo after having five in his first six games of the season. Not to mention he was traded for a 2025 second-round pick, which shows how he’s valued even at a time where wide receivers’ value is peaking.
Diggs won’t be the clear-cut number-one option like he was with the Bills. But he’s on a one-year, $22.5 million deal. If he can’t produce in an offense where he won’t have all the defense’s attention, he’ll likely be perceived in a much different way as he plays into his 30s.
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