Houston Texans News & Rumors

2024 NFL Trades

We have reached the 2024 trade deadline, which came one week later than the league’s usual endpoint. An offseason measure to move the deadline back one week passed, sliding the deadline beyond Week 9 after it had resided the Tuesday following Week 8 since 2012. That opened the door to more activity this year.

The 2024 offseason also featured extensive work, as teams added starters and depth pieces. Here are the trades involving veteran players (or rookies already drafted) to take place this year:

March 4

Bears chose defensive end Austin Booker at No. 144

March 9

Broncos sent Seahawks No. 136, included 203 in trade with Jets for QB Zach Wilson

March 10

Patriots chose QB Joe Milton at 193

March 11

Bucs drafted WR Jalen McMillan at No. 92; Lions traded No. 201 to Eagles

Panthers traded down from No. 39, giving Rams access to DT Braden Fiske; team moved No. 141 in Bills deal that sent WR Xavier Legette to Carolina. Giants chose RB Tyrone Tracy at 166.

March 12

Bengals chose DB Daijahn Anthony at No. 224 

March 13

Texans traded No. 232 to Vikings

Ravens chose WR Devontez Walker at No. 113, QB Devin Leary at 218; Jets drafted RB Braelon Allen at 134

March 14

Commanders traded Nos. 78, 152 to Eagles in trade that sent CB Cooper DeJean to Philadelphia; Seahawks moved down from No. 102, drafted G Sataoa Laumea at 179

Bolts traded No. 110 to Patriots 

March 15

Steelers chose LB Payton Wilson at No. 98; Eagles traded No. 120 to Dolphins in package that brought back 2025 third-rounder

March 16

Fields must play in 51% of Steelers’ offensive snaps for pick to elevate from sixth to fourth round

March 22

Chiefs traded No. 221 to Bills; Titans chose OLB Jaylen Harrell at 252

March 29

Pick would have become second-rounder had Reddick played 67.5% of Jets’ 2024 defensive snaps and recorded at least 10 sacks. Reddick’s holdout ensured Philly’s pick will land in Round 3.

April 3

Texans dealt No. 189 to Lions for Nos. 205, 249

April 12

Browns chose CB Myles Harden at No. 227

April 22

In trade that gave Vikings J.J. McCarthy draft real estate at No. 10 overall, Jets sent No. 203 to Minnesota; Broncos chose C Nick Gargiulo at 256

April 27

May 9

August 9

August 11

August 14

Dallas carried Phillips on its active roster for two games, meeting minimum requirement for conditional sixth to transfer

August 22

Pick did not convey due to Commanders cutting York before he played in two games with team

August 23

August 24

August 26

August 27

August 28

October 14

October 15

Pick would upgrade to second-rounder if Adams earns first- or second-team All-Pro recognition or is on Jets’ active roster for 2024 AFC championship game or Super Bowl LIX

October 23

Pick would become fourth-rounder if Hopkins both plays 60% of Chiefs’ remaining offensive snaps and Kansas City advances to Super Bowl LIX

October 28

October 29

Robinson’s playing time will determine if Jags pick climbs to a fourth-rounder and whether Vikings will end up receiving 2026 seventh

November 4

November 5

Sixth-rounder going to New Orleans comes from pick Saints sent Commanders for John Ridgeway 

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/24

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

49ers To Acquire Khalil Davis From Texans

Right at the deadline, one final trade has been agreed to. Defensive tackle Khalil Davis is headed from the Texans to the 49ers, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports.

Houston will acquire a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange. This move will provide San Francisco with depth along the defensive front, something which will be welcomed given the fact Javon Hargrave is out for at least the remainder of the regular season. Davis will look to carve out a rotational role on his new team.

The 28-year-old made only a pair of appearances with the Buccaneers during his rookie season. That was followed by a single game played with the Colts the following year. Davis not see any regular season action in 2022, but it was with the Texans that he managed to find a regular spot on the active roster. He played 15 games last season, collecting 32 tackles and a pair of sacks.

The Nebraska product has played in all nine contests for Houston in 2024, although his snap share (32%) has taken a step back compared to last season. Now, Davis will look to handle at least a similar workload upon arrival in the Bay Area. Davis – a pending free agent – is attached to a base salary of only $1.1MM, so this will be an easily affordable pickup for the 49ers.

Under John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco has made a trade at or near the deadline every season except 2018 (h/t ESPN’s Nick Wagoner). As such, it comes as no surprise the team has gone ahead with another move just before this year’s trade deadline. Sitting at 4-4 on the year, the 49ers are in the thick of the wide-open NFC West race while awaiting the return of multiple key players over the coming weeks.

Of course, this is not the first time these teams have hooked up for a D-lineman trade. Houston dealt Maliek Collins to San Francisco in March, and he has been a full-time starter for the 49ers this year. Collins will have a familiar face alongside him for the second half of the season.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Levis, Texans

Anthony Richardson‘s on-field work this season created an untenable setup for the Colts, who benched their starting quarterback for 39-year-old Joe Flacco. While the Colts are not giving up on Richardson — even as rebounds from early-career benchings are less common than those leading to downward tumbles — the second-year passer will also need to adjust his preparation. The Colts want to see Richardson improve in that area, with ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder going as far as indicating the former No. 4 overall pick’s pregame prep and lack of proper awareness of his job’s importance represented a bigger reason for the benching compared to the in-game performances.

Richardson taking the unusual step to sub himself out midway through a drive became a flashpoint for the Colts, who viewed the decision in Houston as the “last straw.” It is not too surprising to see Richardson struggle with preparation, seeing as he was a one-year Florida starter who entered the draft as a raw prospect. The Colts took a gamble on a player who would not have fallen much farther in that draft, but the team that has been unable to find QB stability post-Andrew Luck is in a holding pattern now. Flacco did not produce much Sunday night in Minnesota, but Indianapolis’ adjusted plan to play the veteran and develop the rookie is still a go for Week 10.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

  • Xavier Worthy is the last man standing among the Chiefs’ Week 1 WR trio, but the Colts were connected to the former Texas Longhorns speedster in Round 1. After hosting Worthy on a “30” visit and then being connected to them shortly before the draft, the eventual Kansas City resident confirmed he spoke with the Colts during Day 1 of the draft. Worthy said the call with the Colts ended abruptly, telling Rich Eisen the Indy representative hung up on him. The Colts had made offers to trade up for a pass catcher but ended the defensive drought to open the draft by selecting EDGE Laiatu Latu at No. 15. Worthy went to the Chiefs, via a trade with the Bills, at No. 28. The Colts circled back to their WR aim by drafting Worthy college teammate Adonai Mitchell in Round 2.
  • The Titans are hopeful Will Levis returns for Week 10, Brian Callahan said Monday. Levis returned the game after his shoulder injury but was subsequently parked to go through rehab. Tennessee has turned to Mason Rudolph over the past three games but plans to reinstall Levis as the starter, despite his early-season miscues, once he recovers.
  • The Texans became the latest team to work out La’el Collins, doing so today. Houston also brought in Tremayne Anchrum and Ike Boettger, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, with Anchrum signing to the team’s practice squad. The Texans placed Kenyon Green on IR with another shoulder injury last week. Collins, now 31, has been in free agency since failing to make the Bills’ 53-man roster in training camp. The former Cowboys and Bengals RT starter has not played in a regular-season game since sustaining ACL and MCL tears in Week 16 of the 2022 season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/4/24

Monday’s practice squad transactions:

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: T Dylan Cook

Seattle Seahawks

Overton has been serving as the Dolphins’ primary long snapper for the past three games as Blake Ferguson has missed time on the reserve/non-football injury list. While Overton’s release could mean that Ferguson is on his way back to the field, it’s more likely just a result of Overton reaching the limit of three standard gameday elevations under one practice squad contract. Overton has been promoted for three contests now. In order to play in another game this year, Overton will need to be signed to the active roster or signed to a new practice squad contract.

Trade Rumors: Panthers, Thielen, Texans, Steelers, Slayton, Giants, Dolphins, Vikings

Adam Thielen ripped off his third 1,000-yard season last year but did so for a 2-15 Panthers team. Although the Panthers notched their second win of the season, they are certainly not expected to sniff playoff contention this season. Thielen’s name has come up in trade rumors, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes the 34-year-old receiver’s camp would like to catch on with a contender to close out this season. The Panthers are open to more seller’s moves, after their Diontae Johnson trade. While Carolina has some players in mind for post-2024 work, Thielen’s three-year, $25MM contract and age would make him a cut candidate next year.

Going down with a hamstring injury early this season, Thielen is in the IR-return window. That could affect his trade availability, but the possession target said (via ESPN.com’s David Newton) he expects to return in Week 10. That would obviously align with Tuesday’s deadline. It would cost the Panthers roughly $11MM — spread out between this year and next — to trade Thielen, but that would be unlikely to deter the rebuilding team if it received an offer. The Panthers’ Johnson return checked in low enough it caught plenty of attention, and with the team picking up some of the traded WR’s tab, it would not surprise if a team paid some of Thielen’s remaining money (roughly $2.4MM) to facilitate a swap.

Any player cut beyond the deadline is subject to waivers, something that could come up if the Panthers hold onto the veteran past Tuesday. Here is the latest from the market:

  • Teams still interested in adding receivers include the Steelers and Texans, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero said during a Rich Eisen Show appearance. Pittsburgh’s interest in adding a WR piece has been well known for months, and Thielen is on the radar after Christian Kirk talks fell through. While conflicting reports are coming out of Houston. The AFC South leaders have been linked to both standing pat following the Stefon Diggs injury and then exploring the market. Pelissero predicts the Steelers’ odyssey will conclude with a receiver added by Tuesday’s deadline.
  • Unless Courtland Sutton is moved months after the Broncos rejected a third-rounder from the 49ers for him, Darius Slayton may be the top name available. Regardless of the reported high price the Giants have set on the sixth-year wideout, Breer adds the team has looked into trading both he and Azeez Ojulari for a bit now. Both are in contract years for a 2-7 team, with Ojulari generating extensive interest. The Cardinals were in on Ojulari, but they filled their OLB need with Baron Browning today. Also looking for EDGE help, the Falcons have checked in as well. Neither Slayton nor Ojulari want to be dealt, but the Giants are in position to strongly consider moving each. Slayton also suffered a concussion Sunday, which stands to impact his status as a trade chip. The Steelers are believed to be interested in the four-time Giants receiving leader.
  • The NFL features a high number of two-win teams (nine), something that could lead to more deals over the next 23-plus hours. But the 6-2 Vikings are also believed to be open to dealing away a piece. Minnesota linebacker Brian Asamoah should be considered a trade candidate, per Breer, as the Vikings have some LB depth in Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace, Kamu Grugier-Hill and hybrid player Andrew Van Ginkel. A former third-round pick, Asamoah has never started an NFL game and would not net much in a trade.
  • The Dolphins are one of those two-win clubs, having lost on a 61-yard Bills game-winning field goal in Week 9. Miami may still not be overly interested in selling, with Drew Rosenhaus indicating during a WSVN interview (h/t the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson) the team has been looking into helping this year’s roster over the past few weeks. Miami having lost its past two games with Tua Tagovailoa healthy could contribute to this deadline approach, and Breer adds backup linebacker Duke Riley looms as a candidate to be dealt. But the team has made several big-ticket extension moves — including the Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle deals this offseason — in recent years, decisions that would stand to influence whether selling at the midseason point is prudent.

Texans Designate DE Jerry Hughes, CB Jeff Okudah For Return

Defensive reinforcements could be on the way soon for the Texans. Defensive end Jerry Hughes and cornerback Jeff Okudah returned to practice on Monday, per a team announcement.

As a result, both players have had their 21-day activation windows opened. They must be moved to the active roster within that span or else they will revert to season-ending injured reserve. Provided both are indeed activated in the near future, Houston will have three such moves available for the rest of the campaign.

Hughes was moved to IR one month ago. That guaranteed at least a four-game absence, one which has in fact stretched to five. The team has extra time at the moment by virtue of playing on Thursday night in Week 9, though, so it would come as no surprise if Hughes were to be activated in time for Week 10. If that were to take place, the 36-year-old would reprise his rotational role behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter along the edge.

Okudah played in Houston’s season opener but found himself on injured reserve shortly thereafter. Injuries have been a major problem for the 2020 draft’s third overall pick, and he has made double-digit appearances only twice to date in his career. The Texans represent another opportunity for the former Lion and Falcon to establish his value, although a starting gig on defense should be expected upon return. Instead, Okudah will offer depth at the perimeter corner spot in addition to chipping in on special teams.

Sitting at 6-3 on the year, the Texans are atop the AFC South. Given the Colts’ loss last night, Houston resides as the only team in the division with a winning record. A home playoff game remains a strong possibility as a result, although the team’s offense has significant room for improvement and its defense ranks only 14th in points allowed per game (22.2). The latter unit could see a pair of contributors back in action as early as Week 10.

Texans Not Expected To Add WR

The Texans recently lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a season-ending ACL tear. Despite the veteran representing one of the organization’s biggest offseason acquisitions (as well as signifying the organization’s desire to truly contend), the Texans won’t make any reactionary moves to replace the injured star.

[RELATED: Texans’ Stefon Diggs Suffers Torn ACL]

According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Texans aren’t expected to make a “big splash” at wide receiver ahead of the trade deadline. Russini’s careful wording seemingly keeps the door open to some kind of WR transaction, but it seems unlikely that the front office will bring in any of the big names that remain available.

This approach could partly be due to the reinforcement the team will soon be receiving in wideout Nico Collins. The Texans are confident the wide receiver will return for the team’s Week 10 showdown with the Lions. If there was any time to add reinforcement, it would have been on Thursday night when the Texans were down to only one top wideout in Tank Dell. That game resulted in a loss, but the Texans can rest easy knowing they’ve already overcome their one-game stint with a decimated depth chart.

When the Texans had all three of their top WRs available, the team was already struggling to give the trio a full workload. Through the first three weeks of the season, Dell never got into more than 70 percent of his team’s offensive snaps; Dell topped that total in all but two of his healthy games in 2023. While the Texans may bring Collins along slowly following his return from a hamstring injury, the team can eventually turn to their duo for a full workload during the stretch run of the season.

Still, the Texans will have to look to the rest of their receivers room to step up with Diggs out of the lineup. Xavier Hutchinson has likely established himself as the team’s third WR, and the Texans also have steady veterans in Robert Woods and John Metchie. Assuming the Texans don’t make an addition to the receivers room, one of those aforementioned wideouts will still be called on to step up.

Texans’ Kenyon Green Headed For IR

The Texans offense added injury to insult in their 21-13 loss to the Jets on Thursday night with an injury to starting guard Kenyon Green, who is expected to be placed on injured reserve, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

There remains an outside chance that Green could return this season, depending on his rehab from his dislocated shoulder and the Texans’ progression in the postseason, per Rapoport.

Green started all nine of the Texans’ games at left guard this season, though he has struggled in pass protection with 27 pressures and five sacks allowed, both league-highs among guards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 15th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has not lived up to expectations as part of a struggling Houston offensive line this season.

This is the second year in a row that Green has suffered a significant injury to his left shoulder. He missed all of the 2023 season after hurting his shoulder in the preseason, forcing the Texans to trade for former third-round pick Kendrick Green from the Steelers.

Green finished Thursday night’s game at left guard, and he will likely take over the starting job for the rest of the regular season. He did the same after Kenyon Green‘s injury last year, but only made three starts before a torn meniscus ended his season. Kendrick Green will need to stay healthy to keep the Texans from having to rotate their offensive line once again this year.

Houston will also need additional guard depth to see out the season with 2023 seventh-rounder Nick Broeker as the only guard on the active roster. Quality offensive linemen are rarely available on the trade market during the season, so the Texans may turn to practice squad center Scott Quessenberry, who hasn’t played in the regular season since 2022 but does have some experience at offensive guard.

More to come.

Texans Confident Nico Collins Will Return For Week 10

Despite a disappointing loss to the Jets, the Texans have reason to be hopeful looking into the future with wide receiver Nico Collins expected to return to the lineup in Week 10.

Collins was placed on injured reserve after injuring his hamstring in Week 5, sidelining him until at least Week 9. The Texans expected him to be “ready to go” after those four weeks off, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

After playing on Thursday night, Houston now has a mini-bye with 10 days before their next game, a Sunday night matchup against the Lions. The team has “great optimism” that Collins will return for that game, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Collins’ return could not come at a better time for a Texans offense that just lost Stefon Diggs to a season-ending ACL tear. Against the Jets, C.J. Stroud only completed 11 of his 30 passing attempts – a career-low 36.7% completion percentage – for 191 yards and zero touchdowns, taking eight sacks in the process. Houston’s lackluster offensive line was certainly a factor in Stroud’s struggles, but he lacked another consistent receiving target outside of Tank Dell.

Despite his lengthy absence, Collins still ranks ninth in the NFL in receiving yards with an average of 113.4 yards per game before his injury. With more than a week to ramp up his participation in practice, the fourth-year receiver should be able to hit the ground running in Week 10.

Diggs’ injury stirred speculation that the Texans could get involved in the NFL’s active wide receiver trade market. Diggs’ 496 receiving yards accounted for 23.1% of Stroud’s production this year, and any setback to Collins would leave Dell and Dalton Schultz – who have combined for just 72.1 yards per game – as the team’s top two targets. No other receiver has more than 100 yards this season, but the Texans feel confident that Robert Woods, Xavier Hutchinson, and John Metchie can all step up if needed.

However, Houston made “some cursory calls to teams shopping receivers” after Diggs tore his ACL, according to Breer, indicating that they could add a wideout before the deadline if the price is right. A Day 3 pick swap like the Ravens used to acquire Diontae Johnson might bring in enough talent without sacrificing too much future draft capital.