Houston Texans rookie safety Jaylen Reed-who’s been carving out a role on one of the NFL’s most exciting young defenses-found himself in a terrifying off-field situation earlier this month.
According to court records, Reed was the victim of a carjacking on January 4. When he arrived home, police say he was confronted by three masked men armed with rifles.
One of the suspects has been identified as 20-year-old Montreal Dwayne Frye. Investigators allege the group forced Reed to hand over possessions from inside his home before taking off in his SUV.
Houston police later located the stolen vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The chase ended in a crash, after which two of the suspects fled on foot. Frye was taken into custody at the scene.
Frye appeared in court on January 9, where prosecutors requested a reset of the case. His next court date is scheduled for February 10.
He remains in custody on a $500,000 bond, and court records show he was already on probation for evading arrest. Authorities are still working to locate the two other suspects involved in the incident.
Despite the off-field ordeal, Reed has remained focused on football. The sixth-round pick out of Penn State played in seven games during his rookie campaign and was activated this past Monday night for Houston’s Wild Card win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. That kind of resilience-on and off the field-is exactly what the Texans have come to expect from their young safety.
Now, Reed and the Texans shift their attention to the Divisional Round, where they’ll head to New England for a high-stakes showdown. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m., and with momentum on their side, Houston’s defense will look to keep making noise-just as Reed has done all season.