Texans Finalize 53-Man Roster

In order to reduce their roster down to 53 players, the Texans announced the following transactions today:

Released:

• CB Bryce Hall
• LB Caleb Johnson
• DT Naquan Jones
• WR Zay Jones
• TE Brevin Jordan
• S George Odum
• DE Dominique Robinson
• QB Brett Rypien (story)
• WR Sterling Shepard
• WR Justin Watson

Waived/injured:

• DE Solomon Byrd
• DT Kyonte Hamilton

Waived:

• DT Dominic Bailey
• WR Lewis Bond
• CB Brandon Codrington
• C Eli Cox
• TE Louis Hansen
• LB Jamal Hill
• CB Alijah Huzzie
• RB Jawhar Jordan
• WR Josh Kelly
• T Jarrett Kingston
• S Kaevon Merriweather
• T James Neal III
• DE Derek Parish
• WR Treyvhon Saunders
• WR Daniel Sobkowicz
• RB Deuce Vaughn
• RB Noah Whittington
• RB Owen Wright

Placed on IR (designated to return):

• WR Tank Dell
• S Ja’Marcus Ingram

Placed on IR:

• DE Ali Gaye

Placed on reserve/PUP:

• LB E.J. Speed
• S M.J. Stewart

After cutting Rypien, the Texans will play the 2026 season with only two passers on the roster, C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills. With Jordan and Vaughn getting waived, only three rushers — David Montgomery, Woody Marks, and British Brooks — remain on the roster. Houston took a swing on veteran wideouts Jones, Shepard, and Watson, but ultimately, the team will rely on its previous draft picks and recent trade acquisition Kayshon Boutte.

It appears the Texans ran out of patience for Jordan, the tight end out of Miami (FL). In five years in Houston, he only appeared in 36 of a possible 85 games. On the topic of injuries, Gaye joins four others on the full-season injured reserve, while Dell, Ingram, Speed, and Stewart will be able to return to the team in Week 5 or later.

Though the Texans missed on Bond, a sixth-round pick this year out of Boston College, they impressively landed three undrafted rookies on their initial active roster. On offense, South Dakota State offensive tackle Sam Hagen made the team, and on defense, NC State defensive end Sebastian Harsh and Stanford cornerback Collin Wright made the 53-man roster after getting passed over in the draft.