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Tank Dell Tank Dell Progressing, but return timeline TBD
Mon, May 5, 2025, 1:15 PM
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans reiterated Monday that Dell (knee) remains without a timetable for return, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Wilson reports that Dell is making "steady and impressive progress with major steps taken" following a pair of surgeries to repair the MCL, LCL and ACL in his left knee after he was injured in the Texans' Week 16 loss to the Chiefs. There have been rumblings that Dell could miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season. In an effort to stabilize the wide receiver position following Dell's serious injury and the departure of Stefon Diggs in free agency, the Texans acquired Christian Kirk and then used second- and third-round picks on Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, respectively. |
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Christian Kirk Christian Kirk Ticketed for slot work
Mon, Apr 28, 2025, 1:13 PM
Kirk (collarbone) figures to spend a lot of time in the slot after Houston drafted 6-foot-4 wideout Jayden Higgins at No. 34 overall, The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Kirk might've taken most of his snaps in the slot anyway, so it's hard to spin the NFL Draft as a win for his fantasy value, especially after the Texans doubled down on Iowa State receivers and took Jaylin Noel in the third round. There's suddenly a lot of target competition behind No. 1 receiver Nico Collins, who averaged 83.8 yards and 8.3 targets per game in 2024 despite playing less than half the available snaps in three of his 12 regular-season games. The upside scenario for Kirk's volume entails Collins continuing to struggle with soft-issue injuries while the rookies fail to develop as expected. The downside scenario features Kirk becoming somewhat of an afterthought and perhaps even losing slot snaps to Noel eventually. Kirk has one year left on his contract and should be healthy for training camp, after a broken collarbone ended his final season with the Jaguars (who subsequently traded him to Houston for a seventh-round pick). The Texans already restructured Kirk's contract to convert his non-guaranteed salary into a guaranteed bonus, which rules out any chance of him being released before Week 1. |
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Irv Smith Irv Smith Returning to Houston
Fri, Apr 18, 2025, 6:26 PM
The Texans signed Smith to a one-year contract Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Smith hooked on with Houston's practice squad last September and ended up getting signed to the team's active roster in December. The veteran tight end played in five total regular-season games and didn't see a target on offense, though he did catch one pass for two yards in the Texans' playoff loss to Kansas City. Smith figures to again be buried on Houston's depth chart when the team's tight-end corps is healthy, though Brevin Jordan is recovering from a torn ACL and Cade Stover fractured his collarbone in the team's wild-card win against the Chargers in January. |
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Christian Kirk Christian Kirk Reworks contract
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 8:18 AM
Kirk (collarbone) agreed earlier this month to restructure his contract for the 2025 season, with the Texans opting to convert $14.245 million of his salary into a signing bonus, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Kirk, who is entering the final season of the four-year, $72 million contract he signed with Jacksonville in 2022, was acquired by the Texans on March 6 in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick. The Texans' willingness to take on the remaining money on his deal was likely a major factor in the low compensation the Jaguars received in return, but Houston was at least able to restructure the contract to make it more palatable for salary-cap purposes. Between his salary and signing bonus, Kirk will earn $16.5 million in 2025, with the potential to earn an additional $3 million if he reaches unspecified catches and receiving yardage incentives. With Tank Dell's (knee) availability for the upcoming season in doubt, Kirk is projected to head into training camp as Houston's No. 2 wideout behind Nico Collins. Prior to suffering a season-ending fractured collarbone in Week 8, Kirk was supplanted by Brian Thomas as the top option in the Jacksonville passing game and finished with a 27-379-1 line on 47 targets. |
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Jakob Johnson Jakob Johnson Headed to Houston
Mon, Mar 17, 2025, 3:20 PM
Johnson signed a one-year deal with the Texans on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The 30-year-old fullback from Tennessee is joining the Texans after spending his 2024 campaign with the Jets and Giants. Johnson appeared in just three games last season (all for the Giants), recording no offensive stats across 12 snaps. However, he contributed on special teams, playing 39 snaps and tallying one tackle. Now in Houston, Johnson is likely to compete for another special-teams role during the summer. |
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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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