The Houston Texans’ offense went from night unstoppable to somewhat disappointing in 2024. While CJ Stroud has mostly been his usual self, the lack of consistency on the interior offensive line coupled with injuries at wide receiver has taken some of the sting out of this attack.
The worst part about the offensive line starting to let Stroud down is the fact that fixing this group isn’t something a mid-season free agent acquisition can often solve. With how rare elite offensive line play is, it’s unusual to see any high-impact player floating in the unsigned miasma.
The Texans will still do a deep dive into the available names, a list which grew by one after former Chicago Bears guard Nate Davis was shown his pink slip following the team’s 4-5 start. Could he be a prime candidate for a resurgence after failing to live up to the hype in Chicago?
To be frank, Houston can’t afford to take that chance. Even in a division that is giving them a big cushion, they can’t afford to sign someone fresh off contributing to Caleb Williams’ regression and putting him next to Stroud. The line might actually become worse somehow.
Texans need to avoid signing former Bears guard Nate Davis
Davis signed a three-year contract with the Bears after four solid, if unremarkable, seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Be it with Caleb Williams or Justin Fields as the starting quarterback, the Bears were generally unable to keep them uptight and able to distribute the ball in the pocket.
Davis was benched this season, and he was considered such a negative asset that Chicago was willing to eat his money. His pass protection and overall effort looked nothing like they did in Tennessee. Even with the now-injured Kenyon Green and Jarrett Patterson teaming up to emphatically fail to move the needle, Davis’ poor pass blocking won’t be welcomed in Houston.
At this point, the only option Houston has left is to bite the bullet and hope for internal improvement from some of their current players. Picking Davis, who was such a turnstile that he was benched on one of the worst offensive lines in the league and fit him into an incongruous offense, would do nothing but harm Stroud.
