Texans Lose Starting DB to Division Rival

A big piece of the Houston Texans' defense has found a new home for the 2025 season and beyond.

According to a report from insider Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to a three-year, $22.5 million deal with now-former Texans safety Eric Murray. The deal includes $12 million guaranteed, keeping him in town until 2028.

Murray was a consistent piece of the Texans' secondary throughout the past five seasons. During his time with Houston, the veteran safety logged 43 starts, 262 combined tackles, 4 TFLs, and 16 passes defended.

Now, the 31-year-old heads to Jacksonville on a multi-year deal, set to face against his former team twice a year. For a passing defense that ranked dead-last in the NFL for yards allowed through the air, the addition seems like a much-needed acquisition on paper.

Murray was a strong player for the Houston defense and was inevitably a big part of their success throughout a solid 2024 campaign. However, despite his tenure and extended success, the deal from Jacksonville seemed to be too much for the Texans brass to match.

Instead, expect the Texans to look elsewhere around the free agent market for a replacement option for their long-time staple on the defensive end, potentially for a lower cost than what Murray landed.

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