HOUSTON – Texans starting linebacker Christian Harris is being placed on injured reserve after aggravating a calf injury and can be designated for return in four weeks, according to league sources.
Harris injured his leg again after returning to practice in training camp and has been sidelined for the past few weeks.
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Harris recorded a career-high 101 tackles last season and returned an interception for a touchdown in a playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Harris is coming off his best NFL season. He became the seventh player in NFL history to record a pick-six for a touchdown and record a sack in the same playoff game since retired Texans defensive end J.J. Watt did so against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012. Harris had eight tackles, two for losses against the Browns. He had seven more tackles one for a loss and repeatedly pressured Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson in an AFC divisional round playoff loss.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has said the “sky is the limit” for Harris, a former third-round draft pick from Alabama who has run the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds.
Texans veteran quarterback Case Keenum is being placed on injured reserve due to a lingering foot injury aggravated in the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, according to league sources.
The former University of Houston standout had been playing at roughly 70 percent of his normal capacity the entire preseason and training camp, per sources.
Keenum, 36, won a game for the Texans last season against the Tennessee Titans, engineering a key overtime win when C.J. Stroud was sidelined with a concussion.
The Texans will keep just two quarterbacks on the active roster: Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud and backup Davis Mills.
Tim Boyle was released Tuesday, per a source.
Texans undrafted rookie British Brooks, a former North Carolina standout, made the initial 53-man roster, per sources.
Brooks has size, versatile and tackle-breaking ability working in his favor. He had an impressive preseason and earned a roster spot.
Texans wide receiver and return specialist Steven Sims Jr. made the initial 53-man roster, per a league source, after being on their practice squad last season.
Sims had a 38-yard run on an end-around against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Travis High graduate’s special-teams skills are paramount to his status. He returned a punt for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional round loss in January. Sims averaged 23.7 yards per kickoff return last season and has a 24.8 career average with a career-high 12.3 punt return average last season and a 6.4 average for his career.
Sims returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown against the Ravens, high-stepping into the end zone. It was the first playoff punt return for a score in the NFL since 2013.
Texans rookie linebacker Jamal Hill, a speedy converted safety and sixth-round draft pick from Oregon, made the initial 53-man roster, per a league source. Hill has run the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds.
The Texans waived-injured rookie running back Jawhar Jordan, per a league source. He will revert to injured reserve if he clears waivers. Jordan had some impressive moments during the preseason. He is dealing with an oblique injury, per a league source.
The Texans are placing defensive tackle Kurt Hinish on short-term injured reserve due to a calf injury, per a league source.
Hinish has to miss a minimum of four games before he can be designated for return.
The Texans are releasing veteran wide receiver Noah Brown, per league sources.
Brown was dealing with a shoulder injury throughout the preseason after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Brown was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract this offseason.
A year ago, Brown endured a lot of painful injuries while flashing his skill as a big-play threat in his first season with the Texans. He averaged 17.2 yards per reception despite suffering a transverse process fracture in his back in two places, a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery and a groin injury as he finished the season on injured reserve.
Brown finished last season with 33 catches for 567 yards and two touchdowns. He got hurt in a wild-card playoff victory over the Cleveland Browns.
The Texans are releasing defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr., per a league source.
Johnson is a former Texans second-round draft pick from Kentucky.
Signed to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $2.5 million, Johnson is a big, athletic converted cornerback who has recorded 192 career tackles with four interceptions. He recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs as a rookie in a playoff game. He was later traded to the Chiefs and played last season for the New Orleans Saints.
The Texans released former New York Jets fullback Nick Bawden, per a league source.
Bawden, 28, previously played for the Detroit Lions.
Bawden (6-foot-2, 245 pounds) played collegiately at San Diego State.
Bawden has rushed for four yards and one touchdown with eight career receptions for 58 yards.
A former seventh-round draft pick by Detroit, Bawden was released by the Jets on July 30 after signing a reserve-future deal in January. Last season, he was released in December to clear a spot for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and signed to the practice squad the following day.
The Texans released veteran offensive guard Chris Reed, per a league source.
The Texans are releasing rookie defensive end Solomon Byrd, a seventh-round draft pick from USC who played well in the preseason, with plans to bring him back for the practice squad, per a league source.
The Texans are releasing rookie defensive tackle Marcus Harris, per a league source. Harris is a seventh-round draft pick from Auburn.
The Texans plan to sign Harris to their practice squad if he clears waivers, per a source.
The Texans are releasing starting fullback Andrew Beck, per a league source.
Beck battled a strained calf throughout training camp and played in no preseason games.
He began camp on the physically unable to perform list and then aggravated the calf injury after being activated.
He was a Pro Bowl alternate last season as an outstanding lead blocker who also returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
The Texans are releasing undrafted rookie linebacker Max Tooley with plans to bring him back for the practice squad, per a league source.
Tooley forced a fumble in the preseason.
The Texans are releasing veteran corner Mike Ford, per a league source.
Ford was signed to a two-year, $4.5 million free agent deal this offseason.
He has played for the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. He had 28 tackles and one interception last season for the Browns.
The Texans are waiving former UFL standout pass rusher Malik Fisher, per a league source.
Fisher had seven sacks last season for the D.C. Defenders with 33 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He played collegiately at Villanova University.
The Texans are releasing veteran offensive tackle Charlie Heck, per a league source.
Heck has been battling plantar fasciitis in his foot all preseason, per sources.
The Texans are releasing quarterback Tim Boyle, per a league source.
The former New York Jets reserve quarterback had a good preseason, completing 19 of 28 passes for 142 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 103.6 passer rating against the Los Angeles Rams. He finished the preseason with 281 yards on 62.5 percent passing.
For his career, he has passed for 934 yards, four touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The Texans are releasing defensive end Ali Gaye with plans to bring him back to the practice squad, per a league source.
Gaye is a 6-foot-6, 265-pound former LSU standout who played extensively this preseason.
The Texans are also releasing fullback Troy Hairston, per a league source.
Hairston is a candidate for the practice squad.
The Texans are releasing veteran nickel and punt returner Desmond King, per a league source.
King is a former All-Pro selection.
King had lost ground on the depth chart with the move of safety Jalen Pitre to the nickel position and muffed a punt in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Texans are releasing former Detroit Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus, according to a league source.
They signed him after he was suspended indefinitely for violating the NFL gambling policy for the 2023 season and was reinstated this spring, signing with the Buffalo Bills in April for a brief stint before being released.
Cephus (6-foot-1, 208 pounds), is a former fifth-round draft pick from Wisconsin.
With the Lions, Cephus played in 22 games. He has 37 career receptions for 568 yards and four touchdowns.
Cephus, 26, caught 20 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns on 35 targets as a rookie.
Cephus declared early for the draft after being expelled and reinstated by the school and leading the Badgers in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.
The Texans are releasing veteran wide receiver Ben Skowronek, per a league source.
Skowronek was acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick.
A special-teams ace who can also play fullback, Skowronek was trying to crack a deep, talented receiving corps headlined by Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell.
The Texans are releasing veteran offensive tackle David Sharpe, who has also played for the Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers, per a league source.
They plan to sign him back to their practice squad.
The Texans are waived-injured tight end Teagan Quitoriano, per a league source.
Quitoriano strained his calf against the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame preseason game.
He underwent groin and oblique surgeries last season after being placed on injured reserve.
As a rookie, Quitoriano began the season on injured reserve with a knee injury. Activated for a Thursday night game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Quitoriano caught his first NFL touchdown on his first NFL reception.
He had three catches for 83 yards in a season-ending win over the Indianapolis Colts and finished the year with seven catches for 113 yards and two scores.
Quitoriano caught 40 passes for 512 yards and six touchdowns at Oregon State.
The Texans have released veteran cornerback C.J. Henderson, according to a league source.
Henderson is a former Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick who was signed to a one-year deal with a maximum value of $3.25 million.
A former ninth overall pick, Henderson was traded to Carolina in his second NFL season. The Panthers declined to exercise his fifth-year option.
He played in 12 games for the Panthers and recorded 39 tackles, three for losses, one sack and two pass defensed.
Henderson has 172 career tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one sack with six tackles for losses.
Drafted in 2020, Henderson signed a four-year, $20.516 million contract that included a $12.48 million signing bonus.
The Texans have also released former Carolina Panthers cornerback Troy Pride Jr., per a league source.
Pride is a potential candidate for the Texans’ practice squad, which he was a part of last season.
One year ago, DeMeco Ryans inherited a franchise in need of a dramatic turnaround.
The Texans had a transformative season, winning the AFC South division title and finishing 11-8 one year after going 3-13-1 and firing coach Lovie Smith after a one-and-done campaign.
Under Ryans’ leadership and general manager Nick Caserio overhauling the roster, including drafting record-setting Pro Bowl quarterback and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr., the Texans have emerged as a trendy Super Bowl contender.
After acquiring Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs during an offseason trade and signing Pro Bowl pass rusher Danielle Hunter and veteran linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, the Texans’ talented roster is even more difficult to crack. They’re facing a Tuesday afternoon deadline to get down to the NFL roster limit of 53 players and have already begun the process of informing players they’ll be released, including linebacker Jacob Phillips and several other players.
It’s never easy for Ryans to let go of players who have worked hard during a long and grueling preseason.
“This is always a difficult time for me,” Ryans said Monday. “One of the most difficult times last year, for sure, as a first-time head coach having to the decisions and talking to these guys. It’s one that I don’t take lightly because it’s a delicate situation. It is tougher, I would say, this time around because we have a lot of really good, talented players.
“And some guys, unfortunately, will not be able to make it at this time, although they are NFL players. And one thing I always stress to our guys is I want all of our guys, once they’re in our building, I want all of our guys to make the NFL even though it may not be here with us at this moment. I’m still pulling for these guys. Once I coach them, they’re always my players, so I’m always pulling for these guys.”
It’s especially complex making these decisions at a wide receiver position headlined by Diggs, Nico Collins and Tank Dell. The Texans have plenty of skill depth, including John Metchie III, who had a breakout game against the New York Giants with a touchdown catch and six receptions, Xavier Hutchinson, who led the Texans with 12 receptions for 114 yards in the preseason, return specialist Steven Sims Jr and proven veteran Robert Woods
“Yeah, we have a really tight wide receiver room,” Ryans said “It’s a lot of good players in that room. A lot of guys made a lot of plays throughout the training camp practices and also some guys showed up in the games as well. I feel really good about the room that we have. You have, of course the top three guys that we have are all big-time playmakers, but all the other guys have stepped up and made plays at some point. And that’s a good problem to have.
“When you have as many guys as we have, it’s a really good problem and I’m definitely excited about the group. Talk about guys like Xavier Hutchinson, just seeing the progress he’s made from year one to year two. It’s been pretty cool to see his growth and see his development.”
Ryans indicated that the Texans are still working through several decisions, including Metchie and backup running back Dameon Pierce. Pierce rushed for nine yards on eight carries during the preseason and was held out of the final preseason game while Cam Akers, recovered from two previous torn Achilles tendons, excelled. Several sources indicated they would be surprised if Pierce isn’t on the roster despite rampant trade speculation.
“We still have a lot of things to work through when it comes to the roster and when you talk about those guys specifically, Metchie and Dameon, I think both guys, they’ve done really well in practice settings and also in the game,” Ryans said. “So, both guys I’ve seen. I know what those guys are about. I know who they are as people. But you guys will see those decisions here over the next couple days.”
The Texans have to determine if they’ll carry a fullback on the 53-man roster with starting fullback Andrew Beck still dealing with a calf injury. Another option would be using tight ends Brevin Jordan and Cade Stover as lead blockers.
“With that position, call it the fullback, tight end position, I think it’s very flexible and it’s dependent upon who are you facing and the defensive structures that you’re facing that particular week and how do we gain an advantage by utilizing that position to whether it’s to create angles in the running game, or to create a mismatch in the passing game as well,” Ryans said “So, it’s all predicated on who you’re playing that particular week and does that position provide an advantage for you. So, I think there are times, there are games, certainly, when you can utilize that position to your advantage.”
Third quarterback Case Keenum is dealing with a lingering foot injury and other issues and is a potential candidate for short-term injured reserve. No decision has been made yet on his status, per a league source.
“Yeah, we’re still working through that when it comes to the third quarterback situation,” Ryans said. “We’ll figure that out tomorrow afternoon.”
Another position where the Texans have a lot of tough decisions: the secondary.
They’re set with the starting lineup with Lassiter and Pro Bowl alternate corner Derek Stingley Jr., now represented by Stroud’s agent, David Mulugheta of Athletes First, safeties Jimmie Ward and either Eric Murray or rookie Calen Bullock and nickel Jalen Pitre. Injuries have clouded the outlook at backup corner, though, as well as making decisions on who to keep based on special teams.
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Third corner Jeff Okudah is still not back from a hip injury. Myles Bryant, a former New England Patriots nickel, has been steady. D’Angelo Ross and Lonnie Johnson Jr. are good special-teams contributors.
“When you speak to the defensive back room, it’s kind of similar to that wide receiver position,” Ryans said. “A lot of guys did really well throughout camp and you guys know, we spend a lot of time with these guys and see them practice on a day-to-day basis, so you see who guys are. We have a lot of guys who are showing up, a lot of guys are competing at the catch point, making plays, showing up on a consistent basis, adding value to our team by showing up on special teams as well. So, that’s another tight room to crack.”
Texans reserve offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen is being released, per a league source.
Eiselen signed a two-year contract extension in January.
The South Africa native went undraft4ed out of Yale where he was an All-Ivy League and All-American selection and signed with the Chicago Bears
The Texans are also releasing former Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle McTelvin Agim, per a league source.
Agim has recorded 14 career tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and two pass deflections.
The Texans are releasing veteran linebacker Jacob Phillips, per a league source.
Phillips was signed to a one-year contract this offseason. A former LSU standout and Cleveland Browns third-round draft pick, Phillips has 88 career tackles, three sacks and five pass deflections.
The Texans are expected to release rookie linebacker Tarique Barnes by Tuesday deadline, per a league source.
The Texans signed Barnes to an undrafted deal that includes a $10,000 signing bonus, $85,000 of his contract guaranteed for a total of $95,000 total guaranteed, per a source.
Texans safety Brandon Hill is out for the season with a significant knee injury and will be placed on injured reserve, per a league source.
He was carted off the field against the Los Angeles Rams.
RELATED: Sources: Texans safety Brandon Hill out for season with significant knee injury
Barnes (6-1, 230) was a team captain in college and an academic All-Big Ten Conference selection who had six starts last season and had 25 tackles and had one sack. He finished his career with 189 tackles, 18 for losses, 5 1/2 sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles.
Texans undrafted rookie defensive tackle Pheldarius Payne injured his hamstring against the Los Angeles Rams and is expected to be waived-injured and later reach an injury settlement, then potentially return for practice squad once healthy again, per a league source.
The Texans are beginning roster cuts Monday as they work to get down to the NFL limit of 53 active players by a Tuesday afternoon deadline.
Several players that the Texans release are expected to rejoin the defending AFC South champions on their 16-player practice squad.
Behind the strength of an offense led by Stroud, one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL who joined Tom Brady and Joe Montana as the only passers ever to lead the league in passing yards per contest and touchdown-to-interception ratio in the same season, the addition of Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon, having Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil back from a knee injury, tight end Dalton Schultz back under a three-year, $36 million contract and drafting an immediate starting cornerback in second-round pick Kamari Lassiter, this team is loaded.
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Now, the Texans get to play in games that count again and see where they stand while competing in a schedule ranked the fourth-toughest in the NFL.
“For our team, at this moment, I think throughout this training camp, I feel like we’ve established a really good foundation as a team,” Ryans said. “Guys that have worked extremely hard. They’ve dedicated themselves to putting the work in and that’s the start and that’s the making of a really great, successful season is you have to put the work in, in training camp to set yourself up to have a successful season.
“And our guys have done that and I’m proud of each and every guy who has strapped it up for us this training camp because they’ve put the work in, they’ve all done everything that we’ve asked of our guys. Where our roster is and the guys that we’ll have on our team, I feel good about where we are headed into the season. It just gives you a chance. You still have to go out and play good football, but I feel like we’ll start with a really good roster that has a chance to compete every single time that we line up this year.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.
