The Houston Texans have a couple of key defensive players set to hit the free agent market this offseason, but they plan on retaining both of them.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Texans are aiming to bring back both defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and safety Tyrann Mathieu, although they may have to place a franchise tag on Clowney in order to keep him.

Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft, got off to a rough start in Houston, playing in just four games during his rookie campaign due to a knee injury and following that up with a disappointing 4.5-sack season in 2015.

However, by his third year, Clowney was a Pro Bowler after registering 52 tackles, six sacks, and a forced fumble. The following season, Clowney was even better, totaling 59 stops, 9.5 sacks, a couple of forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown en route to his second straight Pro Bowl appearance.

Then, in 2018, Clowney earned his third consecutive trip to Honolulu after racking up 47 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, and another defensive touchdown.

Mathieu is in his first year with the Texans after signing a one-year deal with the team back in March. He had previously played for the Arizona Cardinals, but was released last March after refusing to take a paycut.

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This season, Mathieu posted 89 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and eight passes defended.

The 26-year-old made the Pro Bowl and earned First-Team All-Pro honors back in 2015 after tallying 89 stops, a sack, five picks, a forced fumble, 17 passes defended, and a defensive score.