Texans Land G Evan Brown
After getting released by the Cardinals two days ago, veteran offensive guard Evan Brown has rebounded quickly. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Brown has landed with the Texans on a one-year, $3.5MM deal. 
In Houston, Brown will continue what has become an impressive career for the undrafted journeyman. After falling out of the 2018 NFL Draft, the SMU product signed with the Giants. He didn’t see the field all year as a rookie stuck sitting on the practice squad, but Brown would make up for it by seeing game time with four NFL teams over the next two years. After stashing him for his first year of his career, New York only brought him up for one game, giving him his NFL debut in Week 10 of the 2019 season. The Dolphins made the move to sign him off the Giants’ taxi squad four weeks later, and Brown appeared in the final three games of the season for his new team.
After getting released by Miami in the offseason, Brown rebounded quickly, signing with the Browns within a week of getting cut. Extremely limited usage led Cleveland to waive him to move him to its practice squad, where he remained for several weeks until the Lions signed him off the taxi squad to play in the final two games of the 2020 season for them. In Detroit the next year, Brown was named the backup center behind starter Frank Ragnow, and when Ragnow suffered a season-ending toe injury, Brown found himself in a starting role for the first time in his career, logging 12 starts in 16 games played. In his second season in Detroit, an injury to right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai allowed Brown another starting opportunity. He started 12 more games that year at right guard.
Those two seasons of filling in as an injury replacement established Brown as a starting-caliber lineman. When he signed in 2023 as a free agent with the Seahawks, Brown won the starting center job and started 16 games for Seattle. Continuing to build on his journeyman status, Brown signed with Arizona in 2024 and won the starting left guard job. After starting all 17 games of a season for the first time in his career, Brown was re-signed to stay in Arizona on a two-year, $11.5MM deal. Following a down 2025 campaign in which he missed six games due to injury, though, Brown was cut by the Cardinals and back on the free agent market.
The Texans are now keeping Brown’s journeyman persona alive as they look for more consistency on the interior offensive line. The Texans had four consistent starters on the offensive line last year and were set to return all of them before trading Tytus Howard to Cleveland. In 2025, though, Houston failed to find a consistent starter at the left guard spot, forcing them to shuffle through multiple lineups throughout the season. Brown could compete to solidify that left guard role on the line as the team signed Braden Smith to, presumably, replace Howard.
Texans, RB David Montgomery Agree To Upgraded Deal
The Texans have agreed to a new contract with running back David Montgomery, who arrived via trade from the Lions at the beginning of the month, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
Montgomery’s last deal with the Lions – signed in October 2024 – had two years and $15MM remaining with $6MM due in 2026 and no guaranteed money (via OverTheCap). The new agreement is worth $16.5MM with $10MM in guarantees, according to details obtained by Wilson.
In 2026, Montgomery will receive a $6.5MM signing bonus, a guaranteed $1.5MM salary, and up to $500k in per-game roster bonuses, an increase from his previously-set compensation of $6MM. $2MM of his $7.5MM 2027 salary is guaranteed, and he will receive another $500k in per game bonuses as well.
Montgomery’s previous contract from Detroit paid him $9.125MM per year, the 13th-highest AAV at his position. He has now dropped to 15th at $8.725MM per year, still a strong figure for a running back heding into his age-29 season.
Financially, Montgomery qualifies as Houston’s RB1, though he will likely split time with 2025 fourth-rounder Woody Marks. Marks put up 703 yards on 196 carries as a rookie and will be looking to improve on his 3.6-yard per carry mark in his sophomore campaign. Montgomery has bested those numbers in each of his seven NFL seasons and only dropped below 800 rushing yards in the last two seasons due to the arrival of Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit. He also has 59 career rushing touchdowns, while Marks recorded just two as a rookie – though he found the end zone through the air three times.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/26
Here are Friday’s minor NFL moves as free agency continues into the weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: G Corey Bullock
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Claudin Cherelus
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: TE Princeton Fant
Denver Broncos
- Signed RFA tender: CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Kurt Hinish
Miami Dolphins
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Ethan Bonner
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Zeke Correll
New York Giants
- Signed: S Elijah Campbell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: TE Ko Kieft
After making the call not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Panthers were able to come to an agreement to re-sign Cherelus. The undrafted linebacker has started six of 27 game appearances in his last two years with Carolina, logging 60 total tackles.
Unlike Cherelus, McMillian did get tendered in Denver. With 16 starts in 51 games appearances over four years with the Broncos, McMillian’s tender is worth $5.77MM for the 2026 season, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The Texans signed Hinish to a one-year deal last year, but the Notre Dame product spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Instead of holding on to him for the upcoming season, they’ve decided to cut him from the roster.
Texans To Sign TE Foster Moreau
Foster Moreau has lined up his next opportunity. The veteran tight end has agreed to terms with the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
It will be a two-year deal for Moreau, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The tight end will earn a fully guaranteed $6.3MM over the length of his contract, plus potentially another $1MM via incentives.
Moreau was a fourth-round pick by the Raiders back in 2019, but he struggled to carve out a definitive offensive role during his time with the organization. As fellow TE Darren Waller commanded targets, Moreau saw a secondary role in the passing attack. He did show some promise during his final two years in Las Vegas, hauling in a combined 63 catches for 793 yards and five touchdowns.
He caught on with the Saints during the 2023 offseason via a three-year, $12MM pact. He had arguably the best offensive season of his career during his second year in New Orleans, finishing with 413 receiving yards and five touchdowns. However, he was limited to only seven catches in 2025 before an ankle injury ended his season.
Moreau has been an above-average pass blocker over the past two seasons, which would have carved him out a role with any squad. Both Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover will return to the Texans after leading the position in snaps last year, but the team will have some leftover looks with Harrison Bryant hitting free agency.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Texans Release DL Mario Edwards
Mario Edwards‘ two-year run with the Texans has come to an end. The veteran defensive lineman has been released, per the transactions wire (h/t Mike Garafolo of NFL Network).
Edwards has been cut with a failed physical designation, Aaron Wilson KPRC2 reports. Wilson adds, however, that Edwards is still on course for a full recovery from a pectoral tear; that could lead to a number of suitors showing interest. Houston will save $4.41MM with this move while generating a dead money charge of $1MM.
Edwards joined the Texans ahead of the 2024 campaign. He missed a handful of games after being hit with a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, but he otherwise started 12 of his 13 appearances. He inked a two-year, $9.5MM deal with the organization last offseason but saw a lesser role, appearing in 33 percent of his team’s snaps through 14 games. His season ended prematurely thanks to that aforementioned pec tear.
Edwards has turned into a true journeyman, as his next squad will represent the ninth of his career. Still, he’s proven to be a dependable rotational defensive lineman who can get after the QB. The 32-year-old has tallied 26 sacks in his career, including 4.5 during his stint with the Texans.
Pro Football Focus wasn’t fond of his performance in 2025, ranking Edwards 126th among 127 qualifying interior defenders. However, the site graded him as more of a middle-of-the-road defender in recent years, including a third-place showing in 2020. Teams will surely bank on Edwards improving a bit in 2026, but even then, he’ll likely be competing for a roster spot come the preseason.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/10/26
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: WR Dayton Wade
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: WR David Moore, DE LaBryan Ray
- Waived: DT Popo Aumavae
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed: OL Darian Kinnard
Houston Texans
- Signed: LB Jake Hummel
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released: TE Johnny Mundt
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed: WR Nikko Remigio
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: CB Deane Leonard
New York Giants
- Re-signed: CB Art Green
- Signed: LB Caleb Murphy
- Waived: S Anthony Johnson
San Francisco 49ers
- Re-signed: LB Garret Wallow
Texans To Sign DE Logan Hall
Following a standout collegiate career with the Cougars, Logan Hall is heading back to Houston. The free agent defensive end is joining the Texans, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
It’s a two-year deal for Hall, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The defensive lineman will earn around $7MM per season.
The Houston product earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2021 after finishing with six sacks and 13 tackles for loss, leading to him being selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2022 draft. The defensive lineman ended up starting 39 of his 66 appearances in Tampa Bay, although he never got into more than 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in any of his four seasons.
Following a 5.5-sack showing in 2024, Hall was limited to 1.5 sacks in 2025 despite starting a career-high 16 games. Pro Football Focus has generally graded him as a middle-of-the-road interior defender, although they ranked him 40th among 127 qualifiers this past year.
Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson will continue to command snaps at defensive end, but Hall should be a more-than-serviceable option behind that duo. Derek Barnett is currently unsigned after garnering 388 snaps at the position in 2025. The Texans previously added some DE depth in Dominique Robinson.
Texans To Acquire P Kai Kroeger From Saints
Punter action has been plentiful during the first two days of free agency. Now, we have a punter trade to process. The Saints are sending their punter — Kai Kroeger — to the Texans, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
[RELATED: Saints, P Ryan Wright Agree To Deal]
Kroeger and a 2028 seventh-round pick are headed to Houston, while New Orleans will receive a 2028 sixth-rounder. As a former UDFA, Kroeger is extension-eligible. Two years remain on Kroeger’s rookie contract; he punted in 17 games for the Saints as a rookie.
The South Carolina product initially joined the Jets as a UDFA but he was waived in late July. He was subsequently scooped up by the Saints, who were quick to make him their starting punter. The rookie was relatively productive in 2025, averaging 44.8 yards on his 56 punts, 18 of which landed inside the 20. While it wasn’t entirely his fault, Kroeger finished tied for the league-lead with two blocked punts.
However, the Saints pivoted at the position yesterday when they signed former Vikings punter Ryan Wright. That made Kroeger expendable, and now the sophomore is on his way to Houston. The Texans leaned on Tommy Townsend over the past two seasons, but the free agent apparently won’t be back in Houston for a third year.
Texans To Sign RT Braden Smith
After eight years with the Colts, right tackle Braden Smith is signing with the AFC South rival Texans, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reports. It’s a two-year, $25MM agreement with $13.5MM in fully guaranteed money, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Once the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL, Smith wrapped up a four-year, $72MM contract in 2025. Until now, the 6-foot-6, 312-pound Smith spent his entire career with the Colts.
As the 37th overall pick in 2018, the ex-Auburn Tiger became a full-time starter in his rookie season. He came off the bench twice that year, but Smith has started in the rest of his 105 appearances in the league. However, availability has been an issue throughout Smith’s career. Smith has missed a total of 26 games, and he put together his lone full season back in 2019.
Five of Smith’s absences came while he left the Colts to seek treament for obsessive compulsive disorder in 2024. Smith told his wife he would have retired had the issue persisted. Fortunately, Smith was able to continue his career last season. He played in 13 games, his most since 2022, but his year ended with a stint on IR. The Colts shut Smith down in mid-December as a result of a concussion and neck injury. He finished as Pro Football Focus’ 48th-ranked tackle out of 84 qualifiers.
The Smith pickup is the first outside O-line acquisition this offseason for the Texans. The team traded guard/tackle Tytus Howard to Cleveland and shipped interior lineman Juice Scruggs to Detroit last week. The Texans have since re-signed tackle Trent Brown and brought back right guard Ed Ingram. The bulk of Howard’s work came at right tackle last season, but Smith could slide in as his replacement next to Ingram.
Texans To Extend K Kaʻimi Fairbairn
Tuesday afternoon has brought about more in the way of kicker news. The Texans have worked out a new deal with Kaʻimi Fairbairn. 
Fairbairn has agreed to two-year, $13MM extension, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. As a result, he is now on the books through 2028. The $6.5MM average annual value of this extension is the highest in league history for kickers.
In 2024, Fairbairn inked a Houston deal worth an average of $5.3MM per year. A healthy raise has now been worked out in the wake of his continued strong play. The nine-year veteran led the NFL in made field goals this past season, connecting on 44 of 48 attempts. Each of his four misses came from beyond 50 yards, and Fairbairn topped 90% in terms of accuracy for the third time in the past four seasons.
The 32-year-old also connected on each of his extra point attempts in 2025, doing so for the second time in his career. High-level play will be counted on for years to come in Fairbairn’s case. This marks the latest in-house player for Houston to receive a new deal on the eve of the new league year. The likes of Danielle Hunter, Sheldon Rankins and Dalton Schultz have worked out new Texans contracts in recent days. Fairbairn now joins them in that respect.
Harrison Butker‘s $6.4MM-per-year-pact led the way in terms of kicker deals entering Tuesday. The market has now seen a small upward move. It will be interesting to see how this affects future contracts at the position. In any case, Fairbairn’s Houston future has been assured beyond 2026.