The Houston Texans began training camp Thursday morning as they prepare for the 2024 season. The Texans are aiming to build upon last season’s success when they finished with a 10-7 record while advancing to the Divisional Round of the postseason.

The Texans are one of a handful of teams with real championship aspirations. To reach this goal, coach DeMeco Ryans is aiming to build a new foundation that could help the franchise achieve its ultimate objective.

“You want to build anything great and grand it starts with the foundation,” Ryans said. “That’s what camp is about. So, I’m truly excited about being able to get started today. It is day one, as I told our guys, we have a lot of room for improvement. My expectations and what I expect to see from everyone, all of our guys, is let’s get a little bit better each day.”

C.J. Stroud is one of the primary reasons the Texans are entering the season as a championship contender. He had one of the greatest seasons by a rookie quarterback in 2023, finishing with 4,557 total passing yards, which is the second-most in NFL history by a rookie quarterback — trailing only Andrew Luck (4,662) in 2012.

The Texans showcased their belief in Stroud by building around the Pro Bowl quarterback. Houston landed running back Joe Mixon in a trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. A few weeks later, the Texans made one of the best moves of the offseason with the acquisition of All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Stroud spent the first day of training camp getting acclimated with his new weapons.

The Texans added one of the best wide receivers over the past decade in Diggs. He spent four seasons with the Bills and played in 65 games alongside All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen, recording 445 catches for 5,372 yards and 37 touchdowns — ranking first in each statistical category for the Bills.

In 2023, Diggs recorded his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season. The veteran wideout caught 107 balls for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns in his final year with the franchise.

Diggs has made the Texans’ wide receiver unit one of the best in the league. Yet, he showcased during Day 1 of camp that being a mentor to Houston’s young players will be one of his most significant roles in 2024.

“I’ve been watching Diggs for a while,” Nico Collins said. “When I was in middle school, he was in Minnesota playing plays. It is just crazy that he is a part of the team now. He is a vet in the room, someone I can lean on and ask questions. He has been in the game for a minute. He knows how to go about his business. It is great that he is a part of this unit.”