The Houston Texans first played in 2002 as an expansion team, making them the youngest franchise currently competing in the NFL. The Texans replaced the city's previous NFL franchise, the Houston Oilers who played from 1960 to 1996, which moved to Nashville and are now known as the Tennessee Titans. The team was founded and owned by Bob McNair from 1999 until his death in 2018. Following McNair's death, the majority ownership of the team went to his wife, Janice McNair.
While the team mainly struggled in their first decade of play, they found success in the 2011 season, winning their first division championship and clinching their first playoff berth. The Texans have gone on to win five more AFC South championships in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. As of the 2020 season, they are the only franchise to have never appeared in a conference championship game.