Texans Announce Signing of Two Defenders to Active Roster

The pair of defenders were already aboard the Texans' practice squad leading up to their elevation– with Byrd being on since training camps and OTAs this summer, while Speed was added to the practice squad earlier last week to bring some added depth into the secondary.

Now, both will join the 53-man roster for the home stretch of this regular season, which has five matchups ahead, starting with a big-time matchup against the Chiefs this coming weekend.

Texans Sign Solomon Byrd, Ameer Speed to 53-Man Roster

Byrd will likely fill in as a depth piece to an already-stout unit upfront in the trenches— a seventh-round pick from the Texans in the 2024 NFL Draft, with two total tackles and one pass defended in one game played, that being against the Tennessee Titans in the last week of the 2024 season. 

As for Speed, he might have a bit more of a sizable role in the secondary amid their recent injury troubles. Safeties M.J. Stewart and Jaylen Reed have suffered their respective scratches in recent weeks, and could lead to a bit more Jalen Pitre in the back-end compared to his typical spot at the nickel.

Speed, a former day three pick for the New England Patriots, can help add an additional body within their secondary; another part of Houston's defense that's remained one of the better groups in the NFL, led by Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley Jr.

Speed has played 16 career games to log 10 tackles and one for loss.

It remains to be seen if one of, or both, guys will be on the gameday roster for this weekend against Kansas City, but if so, they'll be one of many with a critical task on their hands: trying to extend Houston's lengthy winning streak to five games in the primetime lights of Sunday Night Football.