ONE BURNING (AND SOMETIMES-AWKWARD) QUESTION FOR EACH AFC SOUTH TEAM

SUMMER ISSUES FACING THE HOUSTON TEXANS, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AND TENNESSEE TITANS

As we move deeper into June, the 32 NFL teams have either completed or are winding down their offseason work. And then attention will turn to training camps, which will open across the United States towards the end of July. That is when the preparations for the 2026 season will ramp up to full speed.

Continuing an ‘Inside Pro Football’ series, I’m asking one burning – and sometimes uncomfortable – question for each team as they head towards the new season. In this article, I’m focusing on the AFC South.

Can CJ Stroud re-discover his rookie form for the Houston Texans?

As the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, CJ Stroud burst onto the pro football scene, offering hope in abundance for fans of the Houston Texans. He was excellent as a rookie, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions for a rating of 100.8.

But that early success saw Stroud get a little bit too big for his boots, perhaps. Appearing on one podcast to rank the top five quarterbacks in the NFL – even though he had only been in the league five minutes - might have been the perfect example that his focus stretched beyond the gridiron. He has fallen back to Earth since.

In 2024, Stroud was sacked 52 times and that pressure affected his game. He could only manage a passer rating of 87.0. Last season, that rating settled at 92.9 as Stroud threw a career-low 19 touchdown passes. Stroud’s season ended in disastrous fashion with four interceptions in a playoff loss to the New England Patriots. The skill is definitely there, but so are the question marks. The Texans have reached the NFL’s final eight in each of the past three seasons, but the clock is ticking for their young quarterback. He has the capability to bounce back in 2026, but it is by no means a given.

Which version of the Indianapolis Colts will we see in 2026?

When the Indianapolis Colts trotted off the field at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on November 9, they couldn’t have felt any better about their Super Bowl chances. They had just recorded a thrilling 31-25 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons to improve their record to 8-2.

Daniel Jones was on an MVP pace as the quarterback for the NFL’s most dangerous attack and All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner had just been added on the defensive side of the ball following an expensive trade (two first-round picks) with the New York Jets. Remarkably, the Colts did not win another game! They ended a split-personality year by losing seven in a row. During that slide, Jones suffered a torn Achilles in a December loss to Jacksonville. Feelings of joy turned to pure misery!

There is reason to believe the Colts can find some sort of middle ground in 2026. I don’t think they will boast the best record in the NFL – as they did back on that November day in Germany – but talent is still prevalent and they can make the playoffs. The fitness of Jones will be key but he will be well supported – once again – by running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Alec Pierce and tight end Tyler Warren. Gardner must also return to full fitness to lead a defense that doesn’t have an abundance of difference makers. There are fair questions to be asked about that unit.

Can the Jacksonville Jaguars find consistency and build on their 2025 campaign?

The Jaguars were one of the feel-good stories of the last NFL season as they posted a 13-4 record just one year after recording just four victories. Jacksonville won the AFC South before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills. But the foundations for a successful future were laid.

The key for the Jags will be to build on their successes of a year ago. They have enjoyed brief spells of success in the past and not been able to maintain that level of form. In 2017, Jacksonville reached the AFC Championship Game. They won just five games the following year. In 2022, Jacksonville advanced to the AFC Divisional Round. The following season saw them miss the playoffs. You get the picture!

It feels like the Jags are set firm to be competitive for years to come. The reason for such confidence? I believe there is no more important partnership in the NFL than that of a head coach and his quarterback. And Jacksonville are well set in that department with rookie head coach Liam Coen bringing out the best in Trevor Lawrence in 2025. I believe they can continue to grow together and that should result in the Jags remaining competitive and finally finding that year-to-year production.

How much will Cam Ward improve in his second NFL season?

After being chosen with the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, it was a bumpy rookie campaign for Cam Ward, who only threw 15 touchdown passes and won just three games with the Tennessee Titans. But those failings were not all the fault of the exciting dual-threat quarterback.

Ward was sacked a painful and impactful 55 times and he suffered a shoulder injury that sent him to the bench in the season finale against Jacksonville. I still have concerns about the levels of protection being offered to the young quarterback and those worries were not completely allayed with the free agency signings of center Austin Schlottmann and guard Cordell Volson. Will that be enough?

But there is definitely reason to believe the skill-position talent around Ward will be better in 2026. The Titans spent a first-round pick on Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate and also brought in another wideout via free agency in Wan’Dale Robinson, who enjoyed a 1,000-yard season for the New York Giants in 2025. Those additions – coupled with more experience at the highest level – should see a season of progression for Ward under new head coach Robert Saleh.