Former 49ers defensive coordinator-turned-Houston Texans head coach, DeMeco Ryans, told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan he anticipates Robert Saleh’s return to San Francisco contributing to the team’s rebound during the 2025 NFL season.

For the second year in a row, the Texans r eceived high marks in the annual NFL Players Association player report card that focuses on working conditions around the league. They rank sixth overall, up from seventh last season.

The 49ers have granted Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade and more than a few NFL teams likely are open to discussing

Inside the Texans training facility, Tank Dell has become a fixture as he works overtime to recover from a devastating and complicated knee surgery. Dell suffered a gruesome knee injury in December and has already undergone one successful surgical procedure as part of the repairs needed to deal with extensive damage to his left knee suffered while catching a touchdown pass against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 49ers have granted Deebo Samuel permission to seek a trade and more than a few NFL teams likely are open to discussing

“It’s being able to sit down across from the player face to face and be able to hear their story, hear their background, their upbringing, but also getting to feel their energy,” Ryans said. “Feel their passion and love for the game of football. It comes off in those 15-minute interviews and I can feel that energy very instantly.”

The NFL scouting combine brings the best prospects in college football together in Indianapolis together so that coaches, scouts and fans can get a glimpse at the next generation of greatness. Additionally, the event also gives reporters the chance to ask coaches some fun, and sometimes silly, questions.

INDIANAPOLIS — The Houston Texans' defensive line has been a strong suit since DeMeco Ryans took over in 2023. Yet in his third offseason as head coach, the interior of Ryans’ formidable front is again in flux.

The Texans may need to make a trade for another offensive weapon with their receiving corps looking uncertain.

Despite totaling a franchise record in sacks last season, the Houston Texans plan to shore up their defensive line this upcoming offseason.

The NFL Combine is a rite of passage that every top player in the league has to go through. Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who is now tasked with evaluating young stars during the five-day event, also took part in it in 2006 when he was an outside linebacker prospect from Alabama, hoping to impress a team and get drafted.