Look, I realize all of us Texans fans are terrified for our franchise quarterback. I’ve been a Buckeyes fan since I was born, but I’m trying not to be That Guy. I’m not gonna be That Guy in a Buckeyes tee who jumped up and down and hollered on the phone with my folks in Ohio, in tears of joy because My Guy CJ Stroud was coming to My Town in 2023.

I have loved having CJ here. But we’ve done him wrong.

Every analyst has talked about the “bad trade” we made giving Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders. Texans fans know better. Buckle up, Jayden Daniels – and man, I hate saying this, because I’m a fan of yours – you may have a so-called “Sophomore Slump” thanks to those drive-killing penalties. I wrote a Laremy Tunsil Valentine last year that seemed to resonate with a whole lot of Texans fans:

Roses are red
Violets are great
False start, offense
Number 78

If I were at center, and looked up and constantly saw enormous bodies coming at me on EVERY SNAP – after getting saddled with multiple false starts at pivotal points – yeah, I’d get the yips too. Imagine Peak Tiger Woods, but every time he went to swing, someone started yelling nonsense in his ear (sorry, that’s a direct hit on Bobby Slowik) and five huge dudes started flinging bowling balls at his face and nards. That’s the world CJ lived in last year. CJ Stroud was pressured on 231 snaps in 2024, with an average pressure rate of 39% in the regular season (and a staggering 51.4% in the divisional). In the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes had a pressure rate of 38.1% on his dropbacks, and was out there looking like Anthony Richardson without the benefit of a nap.

I’m not about to say I’m a fan of the linemen Caserio has signed in the offseason. He has been notoriously bad at o line, even with the Pats. I’ve been shaking internally looking at four Kenyon Green 2.0s and Ed Ingram, a guy who’s most famous for repeatedly stepping on Kirk Cousins’ foot.

So, let’s at least give Aireontae Ersery a minute. I wanted us to pick him at 34, but better slightly later than never.

Let’s start with the obvious: he is a large dude. The man is 6′ 6″ and 331 pounds – a little bigger than Tunsil, who was lauded for his size. Ersery’s film looks great, especially at left tackle, Tunsil’s former role. He’s the kind of guy you hope CJ will have protecting his blind side. He also won multiple honors in 2024, including B1G Offensive Lineman of the Year. Can’t be mad at that.

Bringing in a younger, hungrier line can be a good strategy, especially with a keyed-up OC like Nick Caley, the Anti-Slowik.

Beyond that, Ersery has shown the kind of humility that fits right into the Texans’ culture that DeMeco Ryans and Nick Caserio have painstakingly built since the 2022-23 offseason. DeMeco, in particular – with the locker-room dynamic he’s established – has managed to turn around “problematic” players like Joe Mixon, Stefon Diggs, and Azeez Al-Shaair. There’s no drama on Kirby … not on DeMeco’s watch. And Aireonte Ersery already comes in with zero drama, and the combination of confidence and humility the 2025 Texans’ locker room loves and fosters.

Is Aireonte Ersery the singular answer to fixing the tissue paper that has been the Texans’ offensive line? Possibly not. But speaking as someone who’s also a Saints fan, and watched a dramatic 2-0 start in 2024 quickly turn into a seven-game losing streak after a single man – Erik McCoy – went down …

… Don’t underestimate the power of just one lineman.