In a day full of big headlines, the Texans took care of some less conspicuous business. Per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the club tendered RFA kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn at the second-round level ($3.095MM). That was a no-brainer for Houston, as Fairbairn turned in an excellent season in 2018, nailing 88.1% of his field goals and sinking all of his attempts of less than 40 yards. He also made 39 of 41 extra point tries and led the NFL with 150 points.
The Texans also retained RFA linebacker Brennan Scarlett with a $2.025MM original round tender. Scarlett started three games for the club last year, compiling 18 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and an interception.
Houston did not tender defensive end Joel Heath, another RFA, but they did re-sign him to a one-year deal worth less than the $2.025MM original round tender. Heath appeared in five games last year but did not record a sack as he saw his usage decrease considerably from 2017.
None of these moves come as a surprise, as the Texans were expected to retain all of their restricted free agents. Houston also re-signed DE Angelo Blackson earlier today.