Texans release edge rusher ahead of Steelers playoff matchup

The Houston Texans are currently preparing for their upcoming road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs on Monday night. The Texans were rolling down the stretch of the 2025 season, and will take on a Steelers team that backdoored their way into the playoffs after winning the lowly AFC North last weekend.

On Monday morning, the Texans made a roster move prior to the start of their game in Pittsburgh.

“The #Texans are releasing pass-rusher Darrell Taylor, who just came off IR and is healthy now, sources say. He heads to waivers and can be claimed by a playoff team,” reported NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network on X, formerly Twitter.

Later, more context was given to the move, with Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle noting that the move was to make room for safety Jaylen Reed.

The fact that the Texans are even in a position to be able to release a player like Taylor, who is sure to have a number of suitors among other playoff teams as the postseason continues, speaks to the immense depth that the Texans have collected over the years on defense, particularly among the defensive line.

Houston has been a feared unit all year in that department, having shut down numerous high-octane offenses throughout the 2025 season and turning themselves into the best defensive unit in all of football.

The Texans might have their hands full on Monday night if Steelers quarterback and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers is able to replicate the fourth quarter performance he had last week against the Ravens, making numerous clutch plays and showing that he still has a surprising amount of mobility for his age.

Still, if the Texans are able to do much of anything on offense, they’ll be in a good position to move on to face the New England Patriots next week.

The Steelers and Texans are slated to kick off at 8:15 pm ET from Pittsburgh.