Houston Texans
Capped outHouston Texans are carrying $146.0M in dead money this year — cap already spent on players no longer on the roster. They project $41.5M OVER the 2027 cap before signing a single player — restructures, extensions or cuts are required to get compliant. Real flexibility doesn't arrive until 2028 (projected +$89.3M), as current deals roll off. The decisions that shape it: Danielle Hunter ($45.0M), Nico Collins ($42.1M), Derek Stingley Jr. ($29.6M) top the 2027 book.
Cap trajectory
Projected space, next three years
2026+$8.6M
$301.5M committed
2027−$41.5M
$367.3M committed
2028+$89.3M
$262.7M committed
Space is OTC's projection against a projected future cap. Negative = over the line before any new signings.
Decision watch-list
Biggest 2027 cap hits
| Danielle Hunter | $45.0M |
| Nico Collins | $42.1M |
| Derek Stingley Jr. | $29.6M |
| Will Anderson Jr. | $28.3M |
| C.J. Stroud | $25.9M |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | $22.3M |
Ranked by cap hit — the contracts that drive the restructure-or-cut call. Per-player cut-savings math isn't modeled yet.