Houston Texans Depth Chart 2026 — Starters & Backups

C.J. Stroud is the Houston Texans starting quarterback for 2026, with Davis Mills as the backup — he played 100% of the offensive snaps in 2026.

The starting receivers are Nico Collins (WR1), Kayshon Boutte (WR2) and Xavier Hutchinson (WR3), with Dalton Schultz at tight end.

The 2026 depth chart lists 11 starting jobs on offense (primary personnel: 11) and 12 on defense. The defense lines up in a 4-3 base with a nickel sub-package.

Houston Texans 2026 depth chart: offense
Position	Starter	Second	Third
QB	C.J. Stroud	Davis Mills	Mark Gronowski
RB	David Montgomery (O)	Woody Marks	Dare Ogunbowale
WR1	Nico Collins	Marvin Harrison Jr.	Bryce Oliver
WR2	Kayshon Boutte	Jaylin Noel	Josh Kelly
WR3	Xavier Hutchinson	Lewis Bond
TE	Dalton Schultz	Foster Moreau	Cade Stover
LT	Aireontae Ersery	Blake Fisher	Nate Thomas
LG	Keylan Rutledge	Wyatt Teller	Evan Brown
C	Evan Brown	Jake Andrews	Keylan Rutledge
RG	Ed Ingram	Wyatt Teller	Febechi Nwaiwu
RT	Braden Smith	Trent Brown	Blake Fisher

Houston Texans 2026 depth chart: defense
Position	Starter	Second	Third
LDE	Will Anderson Jr.	Dominique Robinson	Sabastian Harsh
LDT	Tommy Togiai	Kayden McDonald	Logan Hall
RDT	Sheldon Rankins	Jaden Crumedy	Kayden McDonald
RDE	Danielle Hunter	Jadeveon Clowney	Dominique Robinson
WLB	Aiden Fisher	Jamal Hill	Jake Hansen
MLB	Azeez Al-Shaair	Jake Hansen	Wade Woodaz
SLB	Jake Hansen	Wade Woodaz	Jamal Hill
LCB	Derek Stingley Jr.	Tremon Smith	Collin Wright
RCB	Kamari Lassiter	Tremon Smith	Collin Wright
Nickel	Jalen Pitre (O)
FS	Calen Bullock	Kamari Ramsey	M.J. Stewart
SS	Reed Blankenship	Kamari Ramsey	M.J. Stewart

Houston Texans 2026 depth chart: special teams
Position	Starter	Second	Third
K	Ka'imi Fairbairn
P	Kai Kroeger
LS	Austin Brinkman
H	Kai Kroeger
KR	Jaylin Noel	Tremon Smith	Woody Marks
PR	Jaylin Noel	Tremon Smith
K	Ka'imi Fairbairn

Frequently asked questions

Who is the Texans' RB1?

David Montgomery starts at RB for Houston — 46.8% of snaps in 2026 so far. Woody Marks is second and Dare Ogunbowale third.

Who starts at QB for the Texans?

C.J. Stroud (year 4) starts at QB for Houston in 2026. Davis Mills is QB2.

Who are the Texans' starting WRs?

The Texans' starting wide receivers in 2026 are Nico Collins (WR1), Kayshon Boutte (WR2) and Xavier Hutchinson (WR3).

Who starts on the Houston Texans offensive line?

The Houston Texans starting offensive line: Aireontae Ersery (LT), Keylan Rutledge (LG), Evan Brown (C), Ed Ingram (RG) and Braden Smith (RT).

Who are the Houston Texans kicker, punter and long snapper?

Houston Texans specialists: Ka'imi Fairbairn (kicker), Kai Kroeger (punter) and Austin Brinkman (long snapper).

Which Houston Texans starters are injured or unavailable?

Injured or unavailable on the Houston Texans depth chart: David Montgomery (O), Jalen Pitre (O), Graham Mertz (IR), British Brooks (IR), Tank Dell (IR), Jayden Higgins (IR), Sam Hagen (IR), Dylan Horton (IR), Solomon Byrd (IR), Jake Hummel (IR), Jaylin Smith (IR), Ja'Marcus Ingram (IR), E.J. Speed (PUP), Henry To'oTo'o (IR), Ali Gaye (IR), K.C. Ossai (IR) and Mario Edwards Jr. (IR).