50 free Houston Texans trivia questions with answers — sports quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Houston Texans trivia quiz covers the whole short history of the NFL's youngest franchise: how Bob McNair won the 32nd team after the Oilers left for Tennessee, the 2002 opening-night upset of the Cowboys, David Carr's 76 sacks, and the long climb to a first AFC South title in 2011. It then runs through the stars and the seasons that followed — Andre Johnson, Arian Foster's undrafted rushing title, J. J. Watt's three Defensive Player of the Year awards and Hurricane Harvey fundraising, DeAndre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson, the 24–0 collapse in Kansas City, and the DeMeco Ryans and C. J. Stroud era that finally brought a road playoff win — plus the bull logo, Toro, Battle Red and 'Bulls on Parade'. Questions run from easy to hard with the difficulty shown on each one. Every answer has been checked against a primary reference and each question carries its citation.
30 of 50 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01In which season did the Houston Texans begin play, making them the NFL's youngest franchise?
2002
The league awarded Houston the 32nd franchise in October 1999; the team was founded that year but did not kick off until 2002.
Q 02The Texans replaced which previous Houston NFL franchise, which had left for Nashville?
The Oilers
That team played in Houston from 1960 to 1996 before becoming the Tennessee Titans; the Adams family kept the rights to the old name.
Q 03Who founded the Texans and owned the team until his death in 2018?
Bob McNair
He made his fortune selling the cogeneration company Cogen Technologies to Enron in 1999, after a failed bid to bring an NHL team to Houston.
Q 04How much did the NFL charge for the expansion franchise awarded to Houston on October 6, 1999?
$700 million
Houston beat out Toronto and Los Angeles, which had lost both the Rams and the Raiders in 1995.
Q 05Which team did the Texans beat in their inaugural regular-season game?
Dallas Cowboys
It made them the first expansion team to win its opener since the 1961 Vikings beat the Bears; they finished the year 4–12.
Q 06Who was the Texans' first head coach?
Dom Capers
He was fired after a 2–14 season in 2005, which handed the team the first pick in the 2006 draft.
Q 07What unwanted NFL record did the Texans' first-ever draft pick, David Carr, set as a rookie?
Most times sacked in a season
He went down 76 times as a rookie behind an expansion offensive line and led the league again with 49 sacks in 2004.
Q 08Whom did the Texans surprisingly take first overall in 2006 over Reggie Bush and Vince Young?
Mario Williams
The NC State defensive end made two Pro Bowls in Houston; Ryans, taken in round two that year, was Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Q 09Which native Houstonian coached the Texans from 2006 to 2013, leading them to their first two division titles?
Gary Kubiak
He was fired mid-season in 2013 during a 14-game losing streak and won a Super Bowl with Denver two years later.
Q 10In which season did the Texans win their first AFC South title and reach the playoffs for the first time?
2011
Wade Phillips's arrival as defensive coordinator and rookie J. J. Watt transformed the defense; they beat the Bengals 31–10 in the wild-card round.
Q 11Which wide receiver, drafted third overall in 2003, was the first Hall of Fame inductee primarily as a Texan?
Andre Johnson
The Miami Hurricane was also the first inductee into the Texans' Ring of Honor in 2017; his Hall call came in 2024.
Q 12Which undrafted running back out of Tennessee, signed by Houston, led the NFL in rushing in 2010?
Arian Foster
He ran for 1,616 yards that season, celebrated touchdowns with a bow, and made four Pro Bowls.
Q 13J. J. Watt was drafted 11th overall out of which college?
Wisconsin
He started at Central Michigan as a tight end, walked on at Wisconsin, and was born in Pewaukee to a firefighter father.
Q 21In the 2019 divisional round the Texans led Kansas City 24–0 before losing by what score?
51–31
The Chiefs went on to win the Super Bowl; it remains one of the biggest blown leads in playoff history.
Q 22Which quarterback signed a big four-year deal with Houston in 2016, then was benched?
Brock Osweiler
He was benched for Tom Savage but started the playoff win over Oakland when Savage was concussed, then threw three second-half interceptions in New England.
Q 23Which HBO series featured the Texans in 2015?
Hard Knocks
That season they started 2–5, released Ryan Mallett amid controversy and still won the AFC South, only to be shut out 30–0 by the Chiefs.
Q 14How many times was J. J. Watt named AP Defensive Player of the Year in his first five seasons?
Three
Only Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald have matched three; Watt also won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.
Q 15J. J. Watt is the only player in NFL history to do what?
Record two 20-sack seasons
He hit 20.5 in both 2012 and 2014, and also caught three touchdown passes on offense in 2014.
Q 16After Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston in 2017, J. J. Watt's fundraiser brought in roughly how much?
$41.6 million
He had set a target of $200,000; the total helped win him the Walter Payton Man of the Year award that season.
Q 17Which Clemson receiver, drafted 27th by the Texans in 2013, was traded to Arizona in a much-criticised 2020 deal?
DeAndre Hopkins
Houston got running back David Johnson and a second-round pick back, a return widely seen as far too little for an All-Pro.
Q 18Which quarterback did the Texans trade up to take 12th overall in 2017?
Deshaun Watson
He had just won a national title at Clemson; a torn ACL in practice ended his sparkling rookie season after six starts.
Q 19The Texans traded Deshaun Watson to which team for a haul including three first-round picks?
Cleveland Browns
The deal came amid sexual misconduct lawsuits against the quarterback; the picks helped fuel the rebuild that followed.
Q 20The Texans started 0–3 in 2018 and then did what, an NFL first for a team with that start?
Won nine straight games
The streak began with a 37–34 overtime win in Indianapolis; the previous record for an 0–3 team was seven straight by the 1918 Giants.
Q 24Which former Texans linebacker became the team's sixth head coach in January 2023?
DeMeco Ryans
The 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year came from the 49ers, where he was defensive coordinator, and won the division in his first year.
Q 25C. J. Stroud was drafted second overall in 2023 out of which school?
Ohio State
He was a Heisman finalist in 2021 and 2022 and went on to be NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Q 26As a 2023 rookie, C. J. Stroud threw for how many yards in one game, a rookie record?
470
He did it with five touchdowns and no interceptions against Tampa Bay in Week 9, a stat line only two others had ever managed.
Q 27Which defensive end did Houston trade up to take third overall in 2023, later Defensive Rookie of the Year?
Will Anderson Jr.
Paired with Stroud's Offensive Rookie of the Year award, it gave one team both rookie prizes; the head coach lost Coach of the Year only on a tiebreaker.
Q 28The 2023 Texans became the first NFL team to win their division under what combination?
A rookie head coach and rookie QB
They went 10–7 and then thumped Cleveland 45–14, with Stroud becoming the youngest quarterback ever to win a playoff game.
Q 29Which team did the Texans beat 30–6 in 2025 for their first road playoff win?
Pittsburgh Steelers
They had been the only franchise never to win on the road in the postseason; the run ended a week later at New England after four first-half Stroud interceptions.
Q 30The Texans are the only NFL franchise never to have done what?
Reached a conference title game
They are also one of four teams never to reach a Super Bowl, with the Browns, Lions and division rival Jaguars.