MINNEAPOLIS – The Houston Texans elevated running back J.J. Taylor from the practice squad to the active roster with starter Joe Mixon sidelined with an ankle injury for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings as well as backup running back Dameon Pierce due to a strained hamstring.
Mixon and center Jarrett Patterson (strained calf) were downgraded to out and didn’t travel with the team for this road game.
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Taylor is a former undrafted free agent from Arizona where the California native had 1,434 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore. A former Pac-12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year, Taylor rushed for 3,263 career yards and 18 touchdowns.
Taylor (5-foot-5, 185 pounds) has rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He has caught two passes for 20 yards and has 114 return yards.
The Texans also elevated linebacker and special-teams ace Zeke Turner to bolster kick coverage.
Turner is a former Arizona Cardinals all-rookie selection on special teams after going undrafted out of the University of Washington where he played defensive back.
Turner, 28, is a 6-foot-2, 214-pound Maryland native who played last season for the San Francisco 49ers.
He had 83 career tackles and one forced fumble.
He blocked a punt as a rookie against the San Francisco 49ers.
He regularly plays over 80 percent of the special-teams snaps and is a prolific tackler.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
