The Houston Texans face significant changes to their wide receiver room heading into the 2025 offseason. With Stefon Diggs set to become a free agent and Tank Dell expected to miss the entire 2025 season due to a knee injury, the Texans will need to find additional receiving talent to complement star wideout Nico Collins and support quarterback C.J. Stroud’s continued development.
In his article on bold 2025 NFL Free Agent Predictions, PFSN’s Sterling Xie predicted the Texans will find a way to sign former Comeback Player of the Year Keenan Allen.
Texans’ Receiving Corps in Flux
The Texans’ offense showed tremendous potential heading into the 2024 season, but injuries and inconsistency prevented the team from reaching its ceiling. The unit ended up at 28th in PFSN’s Offensive Rankings, with author Sterling Xie noting, “Protecting C.J. Stroud was a weakness all year, as Houston ranked 25th in both non-blitz pressure rate and sack rate allowed in the regular season.”
Xie added that Houston’s top offseason priority will be to “fix the run game and offensive line to avoid wasting a young franchise quarterback’s potential.” While keeping Stroud upright sits at the top of the list, giving the franchise quarterback an array of weapons would improve a passing game that is below average in just about all key metrics.
Stefon Diggs, acquired via trade in the 2024 offseason, is headed for free agency after an injury-shortened campaign. Meanwhile, promising receiver Tank Dell will reportedly miss the entire 2025 season recovering from a knee injury. This leaves a substantial void in a passing attack that once thrived with multiple weapons for quarterback C.J. Stroud.
While Nico Collins has established himself as a true No. 1 option, the Texans struggled from the slot position in 2024. Houston’s slot targets ranked 30th in receiving yards (1,040) and 28th in catch rate (67.6%). This deficiency highlights an area where the team could significantly improve through free agency.
Why Keenan Allen Makes Sense for Houston
Keenan Allen, a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, is expected to move on from the Chicago Bears after spending only one season there. Despite coming off a down year in which he recorded 744 yards and seven touchdowns on 70 catches, Allen brings a proven track record as one of the NFL’s premier route runners and slot specialists.
Allen’s experience and skill set would complement Collins on the outside. At 33, Allen may no longer possess the explosiveness of his prime years with the Chargers, but his precise route running and sure hands make him an excellent safety valve for Stroud, particularly on crucial third downs.
During his time with the Bears, Allen struggled to find chemistry with Caleb Williams, posting career lows in catch percentage (57.9%) and yards per route (1.4). However, these struggles had more to do with the Bears’ overall offensive ineptitude than Allen’s declining skills. A change of scenery with an established quarterback like Stroud could revitalize Allen’s production.
How The Texans’ Salary Cap Impacts Free Agency
The Texans’ salary cap situation presents challenges, with the team projected to have $3 million in available cap space for 2025. This ranks sixth-lowest in the NFL, meaning creative accounting or additional moves would be necessary to accommodate Allen.
The team could free up approximately $57 million by restructuring contracts with Laremy Tunsil, Danielle Hunter, Tytus Howard, Collins, Shaq Mason, Dalton Schultz, Azzez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry.
MORE: Updated Team-By-Team Salary Cap
According to Spotrac, Allen’s market value has the veteran getting a two-year deal worth $22 million. However, given his age and recent production decline, a one-year incentive-laden deal might be more realistic and mutually beneficial. Allen would get the chance to rebuild his value and the Texans get a veteran presence without long-term financial commitment.
Adding Allen on a reasonable contract could allow Houston to allocate draft capital and remaining resources toward improving protection for Stroud.
With Allen helping out an ascending quarterback in a playoff-caliber offense, Houston could build upon its recent success and push deeper into the playoffs.