The Texans used Wednesday to patch a few holes, and one of the moves brought back a familiar name.
Houston added linebacker Chad Muma, defensive back Jaden Davis and running back Deuce Vaughn to the practice squad ahead of Sunday’s trip to face the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. The signings came the same day DeMeco Ryans said he was taking back defensive play-calling for his 0-4 team.
Muma is the most seasoned of the group. A 2022 third-round pick by Jacksonville out of Wyoming, he spent three seasons with the Jaguars before splitting last season between the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots.
Across 58 career games, he has seven starts, 103 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Houston brought him in as a free agent, and he gives Ryans a linebacker who can be elevated on game days while Azeez Al-Shaair and Kenneth Murray work through injuries.
Al-Shaair is dealing with a groin injury, and Murray has a concussion, leaving the position group short two starters.
Davis fills another need in the secondary. Jaylin Smith landed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, and Houston turned to Davis, a 2024 seventh-round pick from Miami who also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals. He has appeared in three career games, all last season, and has three tackles.
Vaughn’s move is the one that stands out because this is already his second stop with Houston this year. The Texans had him in the building for less than a week during the preseason before cutting him days before roster deadlines. Vaughn, who Dallas drafted in the sixth round in 2023 after his Kansas State career, has also spent time with the Denver Broncos and the UFL’s Orlando Storm.
His NFL resume is still small: 14 games with Dallas, 110 rushing yards on 40 carries and 10 receptions for 58 yards. He has also handled punt returns at the NFL level, and that may be his cleanest path toward a game-day role in Houston. The running back group already includes David Montgomery, Woody Marks, Dare Ogunbowale and Jawhar Jordan on the practice squad, with British Brooks on injured reserve.
Houston also lost a player from its practice squad this week. Cornerback Alijah Huzzie, who had been with the Texans since 2025, signed with the Jaguars after not making Houston’s 53-man roster this summer.
The Texans and Jaguars are set to meet in London in Week 6, the first game after Houston’s visit to Tennessee. Huzzie will be there with Jacksonville, after more than a year around Ryans’ defense.
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Jaguars Still Waiting On Key Secondary Voice Before Eagles Game
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Murrays status now gives Jacksonville a better chance of having one of its most experienced defensive voices available when it matters most. Several other Jaguars were also logged as limited or full participants heading into Week 5, but Murrays availability looms larger than most because of how much the defense values his presence on the back end. [Read more 🡒]