how long have the texans been a team

The Houston Texans have been a team for about 24 years as an NFL franchise (founded in 1999) and have been playing on the field for 24 seasons since 2002, as of the 2025–2026 window.

Quick Scoop: Timeline

• The Texans were officially founded as an NFL expansion franchise in 1999, bringing a new team to replace the departed Houston Oilers.

• The team did not start playing games right away; their first NFL season was in 2002, which makes them the youngest active franchise in the league.

• Counting from their first playing season in 2002 through the 2025 season, they have 24 seasons on the books.

Franchise vs. Playing Years

• Franchise age: From 1999 (when the team was founded and the expansion slot was awarded) to early 2026 is about 27 years of existence as an organization.

• On-field age: From their inaugural season in 2002 to the end of the 2025 season, they have competed for 24 NFL seasons.

In fan discussions and forums, most people answering “how long have the Texans been a team” usually mean “since they started playing in 2002,” so the common answer is that they’ve been around a little over two decades and are still the league’s youngest franchise.

TL;DR:

• Founded: 1999 (about 27 years ago).

• First season: 2002 (24 seasons played through 2025).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.