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Justin Watson Justin Watson Headed to Houston
Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 5:07 PM
Watson is in line to sign with the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Watson is coming off a 2024 regular season in which he caught 22 passes (on 32 targets) for 289 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games with the Chiefs. The looming addition of the 28-year-old is slated to boost a Houston wideout corps that is currently led by Nico Collins along with trade acquisition Christian Kirk, while Stefon Diggs (knee) is a pending free agent and Tank Dell (knee) is a candidate to miss much, if not all, of the 2025 season. |
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Braxton Berrios Braxton Berrios Going to Houston on one-year deal
Mon, Mar 10, 2025, 11:37 AM
The Texans are slated to ink Berrios (knee) to a one-year, $2 million contract, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Berrios, who is recovering from a left ACL tear sustained Week 7 of the 2024 season, reached agreement on a contract with Houston just days after the team's move to trade for former Jaguars wideout Christian Kirk (collarbone). Berrios suited up for 16 regular-season games with the Dolphins back in 2023, securing 27 of 33 targets for 238 yards and one score. He's capable of contributing both as a depth wideout and on special teams, including in the return game. |
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Christian Kirk Christian Kirk Being dealt to Houston
Thu, Mar 6, 2025, 3:31 PM
The Jaguars are finalizing a trade Thursday that will send Kirk (collarbone) to the Texans, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Kirk, who is recovering from a broken left collarbone suffered in late October, looks set to join Nico Collins atop Houston's wide receiver depth chart. The veteran slot man will face opportunity as one of C.J. Stroud's top targets, especially with Stefon Diggs (knee - ACL) a pending free agent and Tank Dell (knee - ACL) a candidate to miss much, if not all, of the 2025 season. Per Pelissero, the Texans are taking on Kirk's salary of $16.5 million for 2025 and sending a 2026 seventh-round pick to Jacksonville in exchange for the 28-year-old veteran wideout. |
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Dare Ogunbowale Dare Ogunbowale Re-signs with Houston
Wed, Mar 5, 2025, 3:27 PM
The Texans re-signed Ogunbowale to a one-year, $2 million deal Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: The 30-year-old from Wisconsin will remain with the Texans after spending the last three seasons in Houston. Ogunbowale provides the team with a reliable third-down back, catching 41 of his 61 targets for 320 yards and one touchdown over 46 regular-season games since 2022, while also contributing on special teams. He's likely to play a similar role in 2025, serving as the Texans' No. 3 running back behind Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce. |
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Nico Collins Nico Collins Minor restructure opens cap space
Wed, Mar 5, 2025, 11:28 AM
Collins agreed to terms Wednesday on a contract restructure that opens up $9.8 million in cap space for the Texans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Collins' restructure comes in the form of his $13.5 million base salary being converted into a signing bonus. The move provides Houston some additional flexibility ahead of the official start of free agency next week. Collins dealt with injuries that forced him to miss five games in 2024, but he nonetheless managed to finish the campaign with an impressive 68-1,006-7 receiving line on 99 targets across 12 appearances during the regular season. With Stefon Diggs (knee) potentially moving on in free agency and with Tank Dell (knee) in danger of missing a substantial portion of the upcoming season, Collins looks locked in atop the depth chart as C.J. Stroud's clear No. 1 target. |
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Tank Dell Tank Dell Undergoing second surgery
Wed, Mar 5, 2025, 11:01 AM
Dell is scheduled to undergo a second procedure Wednesday to repair multiple torn ligaments in his left knee, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Dell initially underwent surgery Jan. 15, the first of what was expected to be multiple procedures to address a dislocated kneecap as well as a torn ACL, LCL, MCL and associated meniscus damage to his left knee, which he sustained Dec. 21 while catching a touchdown pass in a loss to the Chiefs. Wednesday's surgery will reportedly be to repair the ACL. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said last week that Dell is "headed in the right direction with the recovery," but cautioned that it's "too soon" to project the extent of Dell's potential contributions for the 2025 campaign. Given the severity of Dell's injuries, it wouldn't be surprising if he missed a majority -- if not all -- of the upcoming season. Over his 14 appearances in 2024, Dell turned in a 51-667-3 receiving line on 81 targets. |
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Stefon Diggs Stefon Diggs May move on to greener pastures
Mon, Feb 24, 2025, 3:23 PM
Texans GM Nick Caserio suggested he's open to re-signing Diggs (knee), but Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle thinks it's unlikely to happen unless the wideout accepts less money than he could get from other teams.
Analysis: Be it in Houston or elsewhere, there's no question Diggs will have to settle for less than he's accustomed to earning, as he's 31 years old and suffered an ACL tear in late October. He's set to become a free agent while still rehabbing the knee injury, with no assurance of being ready for Week 1 of 2025. The Texans figure to be in the market for high-end WR talent even if they ultimately re-sign Diggs, having lost Tank Dell to a multi-ligament knee tear in late December. Although he's six years younger than Diggs, there's not much reason for optimism about Dell being a significant contributor in 2025. The Texans do at least have Nico Collins, who emerged as one of the league's bonafide No. 1 receivers the past two seasons. |
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John Metchie John Metchie Plays minor role on offense
Mon, Feb 17, 2025, 11:32 AM
Metchie secured 24 of 37 targets for 254 yards and one touchdown across 13 regular-season games with the Texans in 2024. He also suited up for both of Houston's playoff games, securing six of 10 targets for 63 yards.
Analysis: Metchie, a 2022 second-round pick, missed his entire rookie campaign due to illness and has since carved out a rotational role on on offense with the Texans. There was opportunity for Metchie to earn more significant opportunities on offense in 2024, with both Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee) sidelined down the stretch, but even with expanded target volume the former Alabama standout struggled to efficiently produce. He's now heading into the final year of his rookie deal with Houston. |
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Teagan Quitoriano Teagan Quitoriano Plays seven games in 2024
Sun, Feb 16, 2025, 9:57 AM
Quitoriano (calf) appeared in seven regular-season games in 2024 but did not otherwise show up on the box score.
Analysis: The last two seasons have been plagued by injury for Quitoriano. He ended the 2023 campaign on IR due to a groin injury, and when he returned fully healthy for training camp, he strained his calf during the Texans' Hall of Fame Game against the Bears on Aug. 1. The Texans and Quitoriano came to an injury settlement agreement in early September, but he was brought back to Houston after being signed off Chicago's practice squad in early October. He operated as a depth tight end behind Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover, but Quitoriano suffered a knee injury in late November that ultimately caused him to be sidelined for the rest of the 2024 season. As a restricted free agent, the Texans can place a tender on Quitoriano that would allow Houston to match an offer sheet from another team. |
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J.J. Taylor J.J. Taylor Staying in Houston
Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 4:21 PM
The Texans signed Taylor to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.
Analysis: Taylor appeared in five games for the Texans in 2024 while splitting time between the team's practice squad and active roster, rushing 10 times for 44 yards and catching two of his three targets for no additional yards. The Arizona product played 55 total snaps (33 offensive and 22 on special teams) during his five appearances this season, and he's likely to compete for reserve role in Houston's running back room this summer. |
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Jawhar Jordan Jawhar Jordan Inks new deal with Houston
Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 4:16 PM
The Texans signed Jordan to a reserve/future contract Wednesday.
Analysis: Jordan spent the majority of his 2024 campaign with Houston's practice squad after missing time with an oblique injury early in the season. The 2024 sixth-round pick from Louisville has yet to make his NFL regular-season debut, but he's likely to have the opportunity to compete for a depth role in the Texans' backfield as the offseason progresses. |
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Dameon Pierce Dameon Pierce Four touches in playoff loss
Sun, Jan 19, 2025, 8:53 AM
Pierce had four carries for 10 yards and failed to hold onto his lone target in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: Pierce played 14 snaps in a minimal role behind starter Joe Mixon, as was the case all season when both backs were healthy. It'll be status quo in 2025, as both he and Mixon are under contract for next season. It will be Pierce's final season under his rookie contract, and he'll become an unrestricted free agent in 2026. He ended the regular season with 40 carries for 293 yards and two touchdowns over 11 games played. As a receiver, Pierce caught two of four targets for two yards. |
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Irv Smith Irv Smith One catch in playoff loss
Sun, Jan 19, 2025, 8:42 AM
Smith caught his lone target for two yards in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round playoff loss to the Chiefs.
Analysis: Smith moved up the depth chart after Houston placed Cade Stover (collarbone) on injured reserve. Smith was a late-season addition to the active roster, as the Texans dealt with long-term and ephemeral injuries at the position, and was never targeted during the regular season. He enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. |
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Robert Woods Robert Woods Minimal role in playoff exit
Sun, Jan 19, 2025, 8:10 AM
Woods was not targeted and did not attempt a punt return in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to the Chiefs.
Analysis: Woods battled a hip injury all week but was deemed available, though he may not have been 100 percent. The 32-year-old wideout was on the field for just six offensive snaps and twice while on special teams. Woods spent much of the regular season as a depth receiver and only recently was elevated to the top three after season-ending injuries to Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee). Woods finished the regular season with 20 catches on 30 targets for 203 yards and zero touchdowns, the lowest productivity across his 12 NFL seasons. Woods enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. |
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Xavier Hutchinson Xavier Hutchinson Makes four catches against KC
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 7:32 PM
Hutchinson caught four of six targets for 52 yards in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City. He added 56 yards on two kickoff returns.
Analysis: The second-year wideout put together a career-best game in a losing effort, working as the Texans' No. 2 WR behind Nico Collins, while John Metchie saw only two targets but caught them both for 35 yards. Hutchinson, a sixth-round pick in 2023, managed only a 12-117-0 line on 26 targets over 16 regular-season games, but his ability to contribute on special teams should give him a leg up in the battle for a depth receiver role in 2025, even if Houston adds reinforcements at the position in free agency or the draft. |
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Dalton Schultz Dalton Schultz Four grabs in divisional-round loss
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 7:27 PM
Schultz caught all four of his targets for 63 yards in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: The veteran tight end was on the other end of C.J. Stroud's longest completion of the day, a 34-yard connection on the Texans' first possession that helped set up a field goal. Schultz suited up for every game in 2024, the first time he'd accomplished that since he was a Cowboy in 2021, but even with the Texans dealing with a number of injuries to their wide receiver room, he didn't see an increase in his production of target volume. He posted a 53-532-2 line on 85 targets over 17 regular-season contests before adding six catches for 86 yards on eight targets over two postseason appearances. Schultz has two years and $22 million left on his current contract, and given the middling impact he made in 2024, it's possible the Texans consider making him a cap casualty this offseason. |
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Nico Collins Nico Collins Leading receiver in Saturday's loss
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 7:20 PM
Collins caught five of eight targets for 81 yards in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: The fourth-year wideout was C.J. Stroud's top option as per usual, leading the Texans in catches, targets and receiving yards on the afternoon. Like most of the team's wideout group, Collins dealt with injuries in 2024, but he still wrapped up the regular season with 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven TDs on 99 targets over 12 games, before adding a 12-203-1 line on 16 targets in Houston's two postseason contests. Having already signed a contract extension in May, Collins should be locked in atop the depth chart next season. |
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Joe Mixon Joe Mixon Hits century mark in playoff exit
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 7:16 PM
Mixon carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown and caught two of three targets for 12 yards in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City.
Analysis: The running back broke free for a 13-yard TD scamper in the third quarter that should have tied the game at 13-13, but Ka'imi Fairbairn missed the extra point. Mixon reached the century mark in scrimmage yards and got into the end zone in both of Houston's playoff games this season, an emphatic end to his first campaign with the Texans that saw him churn out 1,325 combined yards and 12 total TDs over 14 regular-season contests. Mixon has two years and $15 million left on the contract he signed in March 2024, and there's little reason to think the team will be looking to get out from under the deal this offseason. |
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C.J. Stroud C.J. Stroud Can't escape Kansas City pass rush
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 7:01 PM
Stroud completed 19 of 28 passes for 245 yards without a touchdown or an interception in Saturday's 23-14 divisional-round loss to Kansas City. He added 42 rushing yards on six carries.
Analysis: The story of the game was the Texans;' offensive line's inability to protect Stroud. The second-year QB was brought down eight times, three times by George Karlaftis alone, and he needed help getting off the field after the last sack late in the fourth quarter while apparently dealing with a foot or ankle injury. He did return for the final play however, a kneel-down with seven seconds left, so Stroud would seem to be OK. His overall body of work took a step back from his rookie campaign, and Stroud completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,727 yards and a 20:12 TD:INT over 17 regular-season games while also being sacked 52 times -- 14 more than in 2023. Injuries to his wide receiver corps played a role in Stroud's regression, but expect Houston to focus on upgrading his protection this offseason as well. |
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J.J. Taylor J.J. Taylor Not needed for divisional round
Sat, Jan 18, 2025, 2:20 PM
Taylor (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's divisional-round clash against Kansas City.
Analysis: Taylor was elevated from Houston's practice squad Friday as a consequence of lead running back Joe Mixon (ankle) being deemed questionable to face the Chiefs. However, Mixon is active Saturday, so Taylor isn't needed for depth in the backfield. Taylor played in five games during the regular season, with his most recent action coming in Week 10 versus Detroit. |
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