The Texans are taking another look at a familiar face on the defensive line.
Veteran defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. visited Houston earlier this week, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, giving the team a chance to evaluate a player it already knows well from last season’s roster.
On #Texans visit with former Houston defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr., team released him in March with failed physical designation. Good player, when healthy, so they're contemplating next steps. No immediate signing for linebackers Sione Takataki or Jahani Tavai, per sources.
Wilson reported that the Texans are "contemplating next steps," which leaves the door open for a reunion or for Houston to keep working through other free-agent options. The team has already spent time with several other veterans in recent days, including running backs Alexander Mattison and Hassan Haskins, along with linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Sione Takitaki.
A return for Edwards would come with plenty of familiarity. He was part of the Texans’ roster in 2024 and spent last season with the coaching staff, making him a known quantity for a team that values depth and versatility up front.
Houston’s interior defensive line does not look like an obvious weak spot. The Texans brought back Sheldon Rankins on a new deal, have Tommy Togiai back for another season with an expiring contract, and used the second round of this year’s draft on Kayden McDonald. Logan Hall also arrived from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency in March, giving the team another option who can line up inside or off the edge.
If anything, the bigger need has been viewed as defensive end, not defensive tackle. Even so, Houston has not brought in many notable names for workouts there, while continuing to explore linebacker and running back.
Edwards would still make sense as a depth addition if the Texans decide to move forward. Before going down with a torn pectoral injury in Week 14, he was a steady rotational presence on the front. In 14 games, he posted 13 combined tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, while playing 33% of the defensive snaps in the games he appeared in.
He also started 12 of the 13 games he played during the 2024 season, which stood as one of the better stretches of his recent career. His season was interrupted by four missed games tied to a violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
Released in March with a failed physical designation, Edwards is still a player the Texans could trust if he’s healthy. A new deal would give him a shot to compete for a 53-man roster spot before Week 1 in September, and it would add another experienced body to a defense that already has a strong core.
For now, he’s a name worth watching in the coming days.
In Other News...
Texans Suddenly Have A Bigger Linebacker Problem Than Expected
The Texans linebacker room has gone from a spot the team hoped to sort out in camp to one with real urgency. Jason Hansen went down with a foot injury during team drills, and the loss lands especially hard because Houston was already working around a thin group at the position. Hansen had been in the mix to compete for the No. 3 role behind starters Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry TooToo, so this was one of the quieter battles worth watching this summer.
E.J. Speeds quadriceps injury has made the situation even tougher, with the possibility he could be out for the season. For a defense that needs dependable depth behind its top two linebackers, the timing is far from ideal, and it leaves Houston with more questions than answers as camp continues. The Texans were trying to build stability at linebacker, but the injury pileup has turned that into one of the teams most unsettled spots. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Practice Fight Showed The Edge DeMeco Ryans Wants
Training camp is supposed to sharpen a team, and on one recent Texans practice field, the edge showed up in a way that was hard to miss. A brief scuffle broke out involving multiple players, including rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald, before teammates stepped in and cooled it off. No injuries were reported, but the moment was caught on video and quickly made the rounds, giving fans a glimpse of just how competitive these workouts have become under DeMeco Ryans.
For Houston, that kind of controlled friction is part of the point. Ryans has built a reputation around physical, high-energy practices, and a sideline dust-up like this can be read less as a problem than as a sign the message is getting through. The challenge, as always, is keeping that intensity pointed in the right direction once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Texans May Have A Real Rookie TE Role Taking Shape
Marlin Klein arrived in Houston with the kind of profile that asks for patience, even after the Texans spent a second-round pick on him. His college production was limited, and a hamstring issue kept him out of the offseason program, but training camp has started to show why the team was intrigued by the tight end in the first place.
DeMeco Ryans has pointed to Kleins physical traits and the upside they bring to Houstons passing game, which is why this feels like more than a developmental project. The Texans do not need him to be finished product right away, but the early signs suggest a real role could be forming as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]