The Houston Texans added two familiar veteran names to the mix this week, bringing in Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones as they try to shore up a wide receiver room that took a hit with Jayden Higgins’ season-ending ACL tear.
Both receivers were brought in for workouts, and Houston liked enough of what it saw to give them a shot on the 90-man roster. Now the task is simple but unforgiving: prove they belong on the 53.
After the Texans’ latest training camp practice, DeMeco Ryans laid out exactly why the team made the move. He pointed to the experience both players bring and the value that can matter most when a room suddenly loses a significant piece.
"We signed two veteran guys, and we’ll see what they can provide," Ryans said after the Shepard and Jones signings. "When it comes to adding depth in our receiver room, it’s no secret that we lost a very significant piece in our receiver room in Jayden Higgins.”
"We’re still trying to find a way to help out in our receiver room, and that’s what those two guys provide: veteran experience, guys who have done it before, done it at a high level, played in a lot of different systems, and we will see what they can bring to us.”
That’s the appeal here. Houston isn’t looking at two unknowns. It’s looking at two receivers with enough mileage to understand how to fit into a room quickly, and enough production behind them to make the signing more than just a camp body move.
Shepard arrives after another 300-yard season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s spent 10 years in the league, piling up 4,800 career receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. At 33, he’s still been a steady depth option in receiver rooms with the Buccaneers and the New York Giants.
Jones brings a different resume, but one that fits the same need. He’s just a few years removed from his 800-yard season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022 and has bounced through several NFL offenses, including stops with the Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills. In nine pro seasons, he has more than 300 catches, 3,200 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.
For the Texans, the timing matters as much as the names. With Higgins out, the door is open for someone to seize a role, and there isn’t much room for hesitation. Shepard and Jones will get their chance to show what they can do in practice and in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers before cutdown day next weekend.
Nothing is settled yet, and that’s exactly why both receivers are worth watching. Houston’s wide receiver situation has changed fast, and the front office still has room to keep adjusting before Week 1.
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