With free agency approaching, Houston Texans wide receiver Robert Woods told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston on Friday that he’s looking forward to his lucky 13th NFL season, and is hoping things work out to keep him with the team he’s spent the last two years with.
“Feeling good, kind of getting ready to revamp and go another year again,” Woods said. “Building the body back up, just like always and going into Year 13 and still just chasing it. I had a great time here in Houston, loved being with , a great quarterback, loved our receiver room, our coaches. We’ll see how it goes in free agency. You know how free agency is. Whatever is best for me and my family and my football career. If that’s in Houston, however it goes, we’ll look to that.”
Getting set to play in his age-33 season, Woods has spent the last two years as a veteran presence on the Texans’ roster, even as his usage has dipped. In 2024 he played in 15 games, with four starts, and accumulated 20 catches for 203 yards.
But if Woods is able to return to the Houston sidelines this fall on a new deal, he’ll be doing so in an offensive scheme based on one in which he found the highest success of his career, with hopes that could lead to a jump in production.
The Texans hired Rams assistant coach Nick Caley earlier this month to be their next offensive coordinator, replacing Bobby Slowik after two seasons in the role.
While Woods, who played five seasons in Los Angeles, left the Rams before Caley joined the team, they are both products of the Sean McVay approach. Woods put together his four best seasons while in Los Angeles, including his only two years surpassing the 1,000-yard benchmark.
“I had a great time in the L.A. offense with Sean and everybody who was under him,” Woods said. “I know that offense is capable of being high-powered, whether it’s the running back, with the tight ends, with the receivers, everybody is able to just have a role in the offense and be able to be used to their best talents.
“I know that was my experience when I was in L.A. Sean McVay moved me around a lot with motions and handoffs and passes, deep routes, intermediate and short. I feel like I was really just able to switch it up on offense. I think they can bring that to this offense, and it’s a lot of weapons on offense. You’ve gotta be able to let them go.”
Looking to improve on a No. 21 ranking in 2024 in pass yards under Caley’s new leadership, Houston is guaranteed to return a couple of last season's key pass game contributors, while others’ futures, like Woods, are still in the air.
The Texans’ existing WR depth chart is highlighted by Nico Collins and Tank Dell, who finished No. 1 and 2 in receiving yards for the team -- although Dell will be recovering from a late-season dislocated knee and torn ACL. There's also John Metchie III and Xavier Hutchinson, who contributed in limited roles in 2024.
As for Stefon Diggs, who was a notable free-agency acquisition last offseason but had his year cut short by an ACL injury, general manager Nick Caserio said recently that he was “absolutely open” to re-signing him.
Whether Woods will run it back with these other Texans wideouts or find a new home for 2025 could be determined in just a few weeks.