Heading into the 2025 season, the Houston Texans are trying to win their third consecutive AFC South crown. That would be one step towards their ultimate goal, which is winning the Super Bowl.
However, the Texans know it won’t be easy, as the three other teams in the AFC South have made vast improvements in the offseason. One of those teams is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a new head coach (Liam Coen) and a standout rookie (Travis Hunter Jr.).
With a new coaching staff plus a healthy Trevor Lawrence, the Jags might give the Texans a run for their money. The Jags' success will also depend on their defense, which struggled against the pass (257.4 yards per game allowed).
Jacksonville hopes that the addition of an ex-Texans defensive back will play a huge role in that turnaround, but they shouldn’t hold their breath on that.
Ex-Texans Safety Eric Murray Could Halt Jags’ Plans to Win AFC South
The Texans saw veteran safety Eric Murray leave the franchise after five seasons to join one of Houston’s division rivals. The 31-year-old defender signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Jaguars.
Jacksonville signed Murray to be the starter after they didn’t re-sign Andre Cisco. It’s a risky move by the Jaguars, as the veteran defensive back has been a starter for three of his five seasons in Houston.
Last season, Murray started in 14 games and appeared in all 17 after playing six games in 2023 due to injury and being a backup in 2022.
The 31-year-old safety played solid in his return to the starting lineup, racking up 75 combined tackles, 10 pass deflections, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception.
He also had a 64.3 completion percentage allowed on targets when QBs threw his way on in his area, which isn’t horrible. However, the veteran safety gave up three TDs and had a 103.7 pass rating allowed when targeted.
Over his seven-year career, the ex-Texan’s pass rating allowed when targeted is 113.4, which is nothing to celebrate. In Houston, he had the luxury of playing with Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre. He won’t have that in Jacksonville this season.
Jacksonville has Hunter, Darnell Savage, Jourdan, and Tyson Campbell, which isn’t bad on paper. However, you could make the case that the Texans’ d-line is better than the Jags, which keeps pressure off your secondary.
While the Jaguars may not have “overspent” for Murray, they are putting all their eggs into his basket, which is risky, as we previously mentioned. Texans fans will be watching to see how the former Texan plays in Jacksonville this season and if he lives up to his contract.