The Houston Texans trimmed their roster to 53 players on Sunday, making a long list of cuts as they moved toward the deadline.
Among the players waived were DT Dominic Bailey, WR Lewis Bond, CB Brandon Codrington, C Eli Cox, CB Stephen Hall, TE Louis Hansen, LB Jamal Hill, CB Alijah Huzzie, RB Jawhar Jordan, WR Josh Kelly, T Jarrett Kingston, S Kaevon Merriweather, T James Neal III, DE Derek Parish, TE Layne Pryor, WR Treyvhon Saunders, WR Daniel Sobkowicz, RB Deuce Vaughn, RB Noah Whittington, RB Owen Wright, DE Solomon Byrd (injured), DT Kyonte Hamilton (injured), CB Bryce Hall, LB Caleb Johnson, DT Naquan Jones, WR Zay Jones, TE Brevin Jordan, S George Odum, DE Dominique Robinson, QB Brett Rypien, WR Sterling Shepard and WR Justin Watson.
Houston also sent C/G Jarrett Patterson to the 49ers in a trade and brought in T Nathan Thomas in return.
The Texans made a handful of injured-list moves as well. WR Tank Dell and S Damarcus Ingram were placed on Reserve/Injured with a designation to return, while DE Ali Gaye landed on Reserve/Injured and was moved to Reserve/PUP.
Dell’s situation remains one of the more notable developments. He suffered a significant knee injury in 2024 and missed the entire 2025 season, though the reporting indicates he is making progress and could be part of Houston’s plans next year.
A 26-year-old receiver, Dell was a third-team All-American in his final season at Houston and also earned first-team All-AAC honors. The Texans selected him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 69 overall pick.
Dell signed a four-year, $5,689,094 rookie deal that included a $1,137,523 signing bonus. In 2024, he played in 14 games and finished with 51 catches on 81 targets for 667 yards and three touchdowns.
In Other News...
Texans Are Sending A Clear Message With These Practice Squad Choices
The Texans have spent the days around the cutdown deadline doing the last bit of roster housekeeping, trimming to 53 and then turning their attention to building out the 16-man practice squad. Several of the players they moved on from are still very much in the picture, with Jamal Hill, James Neal, Lewis Bond, Jawhar Jordan, Dominic Bailey, Alijah Huzzie, Noah Whittington and George Odum all expected to land back in the organization.
It is the kind of move that says as much about continuity as it does about depth. The practice squad gives Houston a chance to keep familiar players close, develop them through the season and elevate them up to three times without forcing a corresponding roster move, which can matter a lot over a long year. In a league where the back end of the roster changes quickly, the Texans appear intent on keeping their options in-house. [Read more 🡒]
DeMeco Ryans Just Raised The Stakes In Houstons Receiver Battle
The Texans are deep enough at receiver that the last few roster calls are no longer just about who can flash in the preseason. After the finale against the Panthers, DeMeco Ryans made it clear the staff is weighing the whole picture as it trims toward the 53-man roster, and that means looking past highlight catches to the less glamorous work that often decides who sticks in Houston.
Special teams value, blocking effort, route consistency and versatility all carry real weight in Ryans evaluation, especially for receivers trying to separate in a crowded room. For a team building its identity around discipline and execution, the final decision figures to reward players who can handle more than one job, even if the more explosive traits are the ones that tend to grab attention first. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Tackle Move Just Clarified A Crowded Depth Chart
A familiar late-summer roster shuffle in Dallas has left the Texans with a new offensive line addition, as Nate Thomas was dealt to Houston ahead of the 53-man roster cutdown. The seventh-round pick in 2024 had worked his way into the swing tackle role for the Cowboys last season, which made him a useful depth piece until the front office altered the picture by bringing in Broderick Jones.
For Houston, the move adds another name to a position group that can change quickly if injuries start piling up. For Dallas, it further clarifies the tackle picture, with Drew Shelton and Jones now looking like the likeliest reserve options behind the starters. Thomass path to a meaningful role in Houston will now be the part worth watching next. [Read more 🡒]
