Between the Rockets, Astros, and Texans, it has been hard to find a time in the last decade in which all three Houston franchises tanked to the bottom of their respective leagues. However, if 2021 has been any indicator, it appears Houston’s major sports teams have taken a huge hit in success. The loss of multiple household names for Houston has resulted in a questionable future for Houston sports as it appears now.

Though the Astros are fresh off a World Series appearance, their 2017 cheating scandal still looms over them as rumors swirl around the potential exit of star shortstop Carlos Correa. Three World Series appearances in the span of five years is hard to maintain much longer, especially with a likely loss in star-power. Though the Astros are the best team of the three, their championship window is closing quickly, and a team rebuild may be in the cards in their near future — a similar fate to the Texans and Rockets. Unless the Astros find a way to keep their core together, gone are the days of staying up late on school nights to catch the nail biters in the World Series.

The Texans are a different case, as a lot of their issues were brought upon by themselves. In 2020, they traded All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona, splitting the star tandem in he and quarterback Deshaun Watson. Shortly after, beloved Houston icon and three-time defensive player of the year J.J. Watt asked to be released after a disappointing 4-12 record on the season. The last big domino to fall was Deshaun Watson’s sexual misconduct accusation in March, holding him out of professional football for the foreseeable future. Currently, the Texans sit at 2-9, rotating young players in and out of the lineup as they seek high draft picks to build for their future. Their in-state rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, have officially taken the throne as the best team in Texas.

For the Rockets, the rebuild has been in full effect for the past season and a half after superstar guard James Harden asked to be traded to Brooklyn. In return, they received young players and draft picks, one of which being number two selection in the 2021 draft in Jalen Green. The Rockets were good for the longest time of any of the Houston sports teams, making the playoffs for 8 straight seasons in the Harden era before missing them last season. With young talent aplenty, the Houston Rockets seem to have the brightest future of these three teams — though it may take a few years of meshing and experience to reach the playoffs again.

As we prepare to exit the glory days of Houston sports being near the top of the NBA, NFL, and MLB, there are still positives that can come from a potential drought. Low expectations mean high rewards in the future, as the teams will develop by getting years of experience under their belt. Young players in action mean witnessing the beginning of legendary careers may be a possibility. Like most good things in life, success in Houston’s major sports had to end at one point, but the future will hold new opportunities for a loyal fanbase that has been through this before.