The Houston Texans are turning to a familiar face for help on the defensive line, bringing back veteran Mario Edwards as training camp ramps up.
Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reported the move, and it gives Houston another body for a front seven that already looks deeper than it did a year ago.
Edwards had spent the last two seasons with the Texans, appearing in 27 games and making 12 starts since 2024. His 2024 season was his strongest stretch in Houston, when he worked as a regular starter on the interior, played in nearly every game he suited up for, and finished with more than 30 tackles and three sacks.
Last season, though, the role changed sharply. Edwards was not a starter in any of the 14 games he played, and his defensive snap share fell to 33% after sitting at 55% in 2024.
Production dropped with it. Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai handled most of the work inside, and both were effective in their roles.
The Texans had released Edwards earlier this offseason with a failed physical designation after he suffered a season-ending torn pectoral injury last year. Now Houston is giving him another chance, but the expectations are different this time around. The signing looks less like a move to hand him a major job and more like one to add depth, familiarity and veteran presence to a group that already has several established pieces.
That matters because the interior rotation is already crowded. Togiai is heading into his third season in Houston and has taken another step forward.
Rankins, now 32, does not appear to be slowing down. The Texans also added Kayden McDonald and Logan Hall this offseason, giving the team at least four names that seem firmly ahead of Edwards on the depth chart.
So while Edwards knows the system and has built-in trust with the coaching staff and organization, nothing about this move guarantees him a spot on the 53-man roster. He will have to earn it through camp and preseason work.
If he is back to 100% and can get back to the level he showed in 2025, Houston will take a hard look. But first, he has to prove he belongs in the mix again.
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