The Houston Texans Have Released Former UNLV Rebels Linebacker Jackson Woodard

Former UNLV Rebels star linebacker Jackson Woodard has been released by the Houston Texans on Tuesday as the team cut its roster down to 53 players. Woodard will now land on the waiver wire, where each team in the league will have an opportunity to pick him up. If he is not selected off of waivers, then he will have the option to sign with any team of his choice, or he could sign on with a team's practice squad. It's going to be a busy week around the league and on the waiver wire, so we will have to wait and see how this plays out for him.

It has been a tumultuous offseason to see the least for the former Rebels star. After having arguably the greatest defensive season in the program's history, he was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, along with a ton of other awards and accolades with his name on them. He looked like a lock to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. In a bit of a surprising turn of events, he was not picked by any team in the draft. Nevertheless, following the draft, he was almost immediately scooped up by the Seattle Seahawks, where he was reunited with his UNLV teammate, wide receiver Ricky White III. Then, in an absolutely shocking turn of events, he was cut before he even made it through rookie minicamp. Again, he was quickly snatched off waivers by the Texans, where he spent the rest of the summer until being cut today.

While Woodard didn't look bad in the preseason or like he didn't belong on an NFL field, he also didn't do much to stand out from the crowd. We were impressed by how he looked in coverage, which was supposed to be his biggest weakness, but as an undrafted free agent, he was already facing an uphill battle to make the team. Four tackles and a deflected pass in three games with limited reps just wasn't enough to get him over the hump, even if that's not really at any fault of his own.

We know he's an outstanding football player and an even better leader. He's the kind of person you want on your football team. There is a good chance someone else signs him or he lands on a practice squad. If he's not picked up off waivers or signed prior to Week 1, there is also a chance that he gets a deal following the first week after contracts are no longer guaranteed. It wouldn't be a surprise if he lands back in Houston either on their roster or on their practice squad, in the near future.