Category: Training Camp

Pro Bowl snub cost Texans DE Danielle Hunter a nice bonus for 2024 season

Danielle Hunter missing the Pro Bowl might have cost him a bit of cash for 2024.

While Danielle Hunter might rank in the top three for sacks entering Week 18, the Houston Texans defensive end was not one of the three edge rushers selected for the AFC Pro Bowl roster.

Now, his paycheck is suffering the consequences.

According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, Hunter’s two-year contract with the included a $1 million bonus for making the Pro Bowl. He’s currently the first alternate behind Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson and Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby.

The voting isn’t entirely wrong since Garrett and Hendrickson have a case.

The AFC North duo are tied for the league lead in sacks with 14 apiece. Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, also ranks first in tackles for loss and third in QB hits with 28.

Fans have questioned the move of Crosby over Hunter. Not only is the four-time Pro Bowler from Minnesota healthy entering the final regular season game, his numbers outweigh Crosby’s on every level.

Hunter’s 13 sacks outgain Crosby’s 7.5 by nearly double.

His 17 tackles for loss are one more than Crosby’s 16.

And Hunter leads the league with 90 pressures, according to NFL’s Next Gen stats. Crosby? He’s only totaled 53.

While Crosby is likely to miss the game after undergoing ankle surgery, Hunter’s proven stats were worthy of a first-ballot nod. Time will tell if he opts in and gets a chance to earn the bonus as an alternate next month.

The Texans close out the 2024 regular season on the road against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. Kickoff from Nashville is scheduled for noon CT.

DeMeco Ryans makes it clear on who the Texans must stop in Kansas City

The Texans know everything for Saturday’s game plan comes to down to stopping Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones.

The Houston Texans’ biggest weakness on offense remains the interior offensive line.

That might be the selling point for Vegas since it’s the Kansas City Chiefs’ top defensive strength.

Chris Jones is waiting at Arrowhead Stadium for his chance to take down C.J. Stroud as the Texans finish their preparation for Saturday’s game.

He already has five sacks on the year and is looking to double his total against Houston’s front five.

While the defense must be prepared to slow down Patrick Mahomes, DeMeco Ryans knows his team is in trouble if it can’t stop the two-time All-Pro defensive tackle.

“Make sure you know where ’95’ is at all times,” Ryans said Tuesday. “Chris is an outstanding player, size, strength, pass rusher ability. Not only inside, he lines up outside, can get in on the edge as well, does a great job of batting passes down. He just totally impacts the game for them, and you see why he has been a dominant defensive tackle in this league. His pure will, strength, everything about him. He is just a great player.”

Jones, 30, might not have the same sack totals as his breakout 2022 campaign, but his versatility makes him almost impossible to prepare for. This season, most of his success has come on the edge when attacking quarterbacks.

All five of his sacks have come aligned at the edge. When lined up at defensive tackle, he’s been winning against the run, totaling 11 QB hits and seven tackles for loss.

“No one can fall asleep on ’95,'” Ryans said. “You have to make sure you are aware. You have to go challenge him and you have to go compete. That is what this game is about and that is what I am most excited about, they have really good players, they have good players. Let’s put the ball down, compete and see what happens.”

The Texans offensive line has allowed 45 sacks this season, though only 17  have come off the edge. The rest comes from the interior, which could be better improved now with Tytus Howard shifted to guard.

Howard, who played Jones during his rookie season when the Texans took on Kansas City in the AFC Divisional Round, remembers how violent the do-it-all defensive lineman is when given his chance to strike.

“You gotta lock him down,” Howard said. “It’s the same thing. He’s a good player. I gotta go out there and do what I can do. I’m confident in what I can do so, gotta go out there and have a good game.”

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Texans bolster defensive line with All-SEC addition in latest mock draft

Walter Nolen could be the missing link for the Texans’ interior defensive line in 2025 opposite Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

Walter Nolen already looks great in Hotty Toddy Blue. Let’s see if the Steel Blue of the Houston Texans fits better at the professional level.

In the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated, the Texans bolster their defensive line by adding the Ole Miss defensive lineman at pick No. 25. With a combination of speed and lower-body power, Nolen’s arrival would fortify the interior trench play for the AFC South favorites over four years.

Houston’s defense is statistically strong, but Nolen would elevate its interior defensive line. Nolen, who is 6’3″ and 305 pounds, is explosive and disruptive—he notched four sacks, eight tackles for loss and 24 hurries this season. A transfer from Texas A&M, Nolen is strong against the run, too. He posted the fifth-best run defense grade (91.9) among defenders with at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s tied for second in the FBS with 31 run stops. – SI’s Daniel Flick

Defensive tackle has been a need for Houston long-term since DeMeco Ryans returned home in 2023. Sheldon Rankins inked a one-year deal last offseason before cashing in with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. Maliek Collins was traded to the San Francisco 49ers while the team settled for minimal deals built around Mario Edwards Jr. Tim Settle and Foley Fatukasi.

The Texans are built on the edge with Defensive Player of the Year candidates Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Adding depth up the middle that can bolster the run defense and add value as a secondary pass rusher makes too much sense for a defensive-led team.

That’s Nolen, an All-SEC defensive tackle who finished with career-highs in tackles for loss, sacks and pressures. He also graded out as the SEC’s top run defender by PFF and was the anchor of Ole Miss’ top-ranked run defense.

Houston looks to technically worsen its draft position by continuing its winning ways this Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

All 32 starting NFL quarterbacks, ranked oldest to youngest

C.J. Stroud might be in Year 2, but the Houston Texans passer remains one of the youngest quarterbacks in 2024.

Houston Texans second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud is still a young gun. Sure, he might have won a few accolades in brief NFL tenure, but the former No. 2 overall pick entered the NFL as a spry 22-year-old with two years of starting experience from his time at Ohio State.

How young is Stroud? At 23, he’s still over a year younger than Denver Broncos starter and 2023 first-round pick Bo Nix, who spent five seasons starting between his time at Auburn and Oregon.

Carolina Panthers second-year starter Bryce Young (23) is three months older than the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Washington Commanders rookie and fellow No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels (23) is nine months older than Stroud and will turn 24 in December.

Chicago Bears starter and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams (23) is two months younger than former Buckeye. Meanwhile, No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye (22) is the youngest starter in the NFL and hopes to be the savior for the New England Patriots in a new era of football.

New York Jets starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers (40) is the oldest quarterback in the league. He’s followed not so close behind by Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins (36), Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford (36) and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Russell Wilson (35).

We’ve listed the ages of all 32 starting quarterbacks below entering Week 14. This also only includes direct starters for the 2024 season and not fill-ins due to season-ending injuries.

NFL quarterbacks ranked oldest to youngest

  1. Aaron Rodgers (40)
  2. Kirk Cousins (36)
  3. Matthew Stafford (36)
  4. Russell Wilson (35)
  5. Derek Carr (33)
  6. Geno Smith (33)
  7. Dak Prescott (31)
  8. Jameis Winston (30)
  9. Baker Mayfield (29)
  10. Jared Goff (29)
  11. Gardner Minshew (28)
  12. Josh Allen (28)
  13. Patrick Mahomes (28)
  14. Drew Lock (28)
  15. Lamar Jackson (27)
  16. Sam Darnold (27)
  17. Kyler Murray (27)
  18. Joe Burrow (27)
  19. Tua Tagovailoa (26)
  20. Justin Herbert (26)
  21. Jalen Hurts (26)
  22. Will Levis (25)
  23. Jordan Love (25)
  24. Trevor Lawrence (24)
  25. Brock Purdy (24)
  26. Bo Nix (24)
  27. Bryce Young (23)
  28. Jayden Daniels (23)
  29. C.J. Stroud (22)
  30. Caleb Williams (22)
  31. Anthony Richardson (22)
  32. Drake Maye (22)

The Texans return to the huddle following the bye week to take on the Miami Dolphins at NRG Stadium.

Former Super Bowl champion furious at NFL’s deciscion to suspend Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair

Former Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan is not a fan of the NFL’s suspension length on Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair.

Former New England Patriots star and two-time Super Bowl champion Logan Ryan knows that the game of football can have some outlandish hits.

He also knows it’s a part of the game, which is why he’s not a fan of the recent suspension against Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. 

Ryan said on CBS Sports that the three-game suspension on Al-Shaair for the hit against Trevor Lawrence was “way too harsh,” especially given the ramifications of the bang-bang play.

“Taking a guy out three games? His job is to tackle people,” Ryan told Brandon Baylor. “Now that tackle was egregious. That tackle was unsportsmanlike. That tackle should have gotten him kicked out the game, which it did. That tackle will get him fined, which it did. But, it’s going to take three game checks?

“I understand everything that happened after the hit. I would like to see one game. I think that’s enough of a lesson; it’s enough of a fine taught. He’s not going out there. He doesn’t have a history of this.”

Al-Shaair, who plans to appeal the suspension, was notified by the NFL Tuesday that he would be out due to “consistent behavior” and as a “repeated offender” for his tackling style.

“Your lack of sportsmanship and respect for the game of football and all those who play, coach, and enjoy watching it, is troubling and does not reflect the core values of the NFL,” Jon Runyon, the NFL’s vice president of football operations and former Houston Oilers player, wrote. “Your continued disregard for NFL playing rules puts the health and safety of both you and your opponents in jeopardy and will not be tolerated.”

Ryan, who spent years on the same sidelines with seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, can understand why Al-Shaair would be fined, suspended and even tussled up by the Jaguars’ players trying to defend their quarterback.
He can’t understand how the NFL can make a call to suspend a player doing his job.

“The fine is way too harsh,” Ryan said. “Now, maybe it’s set that way to appeal so it goes down to two games or one, but I think one game would have been sufficed.”

Texans receive postive update on RB Dameon Pierce

Dameon Pierce might be back on the field for the Houston Texans for the first time since Week 1 this weekend.

The Houston Texans could be getting a piece of their ground game back in time for Sunday’s matchup against the New England Patriots.

Running back Dameon Pierce was a limited participant at practice Wednesday afternoon. This has been the first time in three weeks that Pierce has taken part in contact drills after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 1’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said that barring a setback, Pierce will play at Gillette Stadium when the Texans take on the 1-4 Patriots.

Pierce, who missed the previous four games, returned to practice last Friday but later was ruled out before Sunday’s inactive list was released to the public. He’s expected to be the No. 2 runner behind Pro Bowler Joe Mixon, but both have been sidelined for the past three weeks with lower-body extremities.

Pierce could potentially move into a vital role in Houston’s backfield this weekend if Mixon is unavailable versus the Patriots, though he also could split reps with Dare Ogunbowale and Cam Akers. After losing starting reps last season to Devin Singletary, Pierce has been limited on the ground.

In Week 1’s win over the Colts, Pierce finished with 16 yards off three carries. The Texans still believe there’s hope he can be an essential part of the offensive game plan.

Kickoff for Week 6 is scheduled for noon CT.

Texans QB Coach Jerrod Johnson to have jersey retired by Humble High School

Jerrod Johnson is being honored before the Houston Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts.

Jerrod Johnson is being honored before the start of the regular season.

Johnson, who enters his second year as the Houston Texans quarterbacks coach, will have his high jersey number retired at Humble High School this Saturday before the Wildcats take on Klein Forest, according to The Houston Chronicle’s Jon Poorman.

He is one of six former players to receive the honor heading into the Wildcats’ 2024 season.

Johnson was among the top players in Humble football history, earning Touchdown Club of Houston Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2005. He continued his career at Texas A&M, where he threw for 8,011 yards and 67 touchdowns in three seasons as the Aggies’ starter. After several stops playing professionally, Johnson retired from the sport in 2016.

He was hired alongside now-Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans by the San Francisco 49ers as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. Most recently, he served as the Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach.

While Johnson’s jersey will officially be retired at the game, the former Wildcat star won’t attend the game since he’ll be traveling to Indianapolis for Sunday’s season opener against the Colts.

Could Texans land Washington star defensive lineman before start of the season?

The Houston Texans could benefit from adding a defensive lineman like Jonathan Allen before Week 1 rolls around.

There are few holes surrounding the Houston Texans’ defense entering Week 1’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

Will Anderson Jr. could be poised for a breakout season after winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. Teams can’t double-team him since the acquisition of four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter now stands on the other side.

Derek Stingley might be ready for an All-Pro season now fully healthy. Opposite him stands rookie sensation Kamari Lassiter, who could be a dark horse to follow in Anderson’s footsteps as this year’s Rookie of the Year.

Add in Jimmie Ward, Jalen Pitre, Denico Autry, Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris, best believe Houston’s defense is ready for battle in 2024. Yet if the Texans could bolster their interior pass rush, the unit perhaps would be viewed as an elite one.

According to Bleacher Report, that’s a selling point for Houston to land Washington Commanders Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen in a trade before Sunday’s showdown at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Allen would instantly upgrade a weak area for the Texans. With Will Anderson Jr. and Hunter coming off the edge, Allen would bring a little more punch to the interior than the current combination of Folorunso Fatukasi and Mario Edwards Jr.

Allen’s 5.5 sacks were more than Fatukasi and Edwards had combined last season.

With C.J. Stroud, Tank Dell and Anderson all on rookie contracts, the Texans should be playing to win now. Even if Houston were to move off Allen following the season, his addition would expand the pass rush while also elevating the run defense.

Autry, who signed a two-year deal this offseason, is out for the first six games due to a PED suspension. He’s expected to be an interchangeable part of the defensive line while seeing reps at both defensive tackle and defensive end.

Once he returns, a quartet of Allen, Anderson, Autry and Hunter, plus Edwards and Fatukasi as rotational options, could make Houston’s defensive line the league’s best. Houston has the draft capital and players worth moving if Washington is willing to listen.

At the trade deadline, the Commanders could be ready to punt on the season and turn toward 2025. Bleacher Report writes that thanks to the addition of a rookie defensive lineman, Allen could become expendable.

They paid Daron Payne this offseason and drafted Jer’Zhan Newton in the second round of this draft.

Continuing to pay that kind of premium at defensive tackle might not be the wisest move for a rebuilding roster.

The Texans open the regular season on Sunday at noon.

Texans walk away winners in Nico Collins deal following Brandon Aiyuk extension

Nico Collins might be the best bang for buck on the market among top receivers as the Houston Texans prepare for the 2024 season.

CeeDee Lamb was the talk of the NFL’s receiver market for all of five minutes before Brandon Aiyuk had to crash the party.

Aiyuk, the San Francisco 49ers star receiver who led fans and media down a wild, rickety goose choose with no end in sight throughout the entire offseason, finally agreed to a long-term deal with the team that drafted him four years ago.

The Pro Bowl pass-catcher signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension that will keep him in San Francisco through the 2028 season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it’s the same deal that has been on the table from the 49ers since Aug. 12, the day Ayiuk made it clear he was playing elsewhere.

Not to take away from Ayiuk’s payday, but Lamb held Cowboys’ fans in his clutches after not reporting to training camp in Oxnard earlier this month.

A holdout ensued until Jerry Jones finally waved the white flag and granted him a new four-year, $136 million deal that includes a $38 million signing bonus, the largest ever given to a wide receiver, and $100 million guaranteed.

Holdouts. Hostage situations. Trade offers on the table were only a myth by the time pen touched paper.

What a nightmare in Arlington and Santa Clara for two hopeful contending NFC franchises.

For the Houston Texans, a rising AFC organization built to win a conference title in 2024, their star receiver just walked into the building and agreed to his deal with zero complaints.

Amid countless pass-catchers getting paid, Nico Collins agreed to terms on a new three-year, $72.5 million deal that’ll keep him in Houston through 2027. Perhaps he’ll follow the same path as Andre Johnson and spend over a decade as the consistent No. 1 target at NRG Stadium while totaling back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns.

Much like Ayiuk and Lamb, Collins put together a season to remember while helping his quarterback post record-setting numbers en route to a postseason berth. As C.J. Stroud’s go-to target, the third-year 6-foot-4 target totaled a career-high 80 receptions for 1,297 yards and 8 touchdowns.

He joins an elite company as just the third player in franchise history to post 1,200 receiving yards in a single season. Johnson, who just was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is one. Future Canton-bound target DeAndre Hopkins is another.

While Ayiuk and Lamb have constantly produced, no one knows what the future holds. The duo could once again thrive while serving as security blankets for Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott, respectively, while still producing in heavy-targeted offense.

They could also crash and burn while earning over $38 million annually.
Collins, who’ll earn $24 million annually, looks like a bargain buy regardless of his future outlook. As asking prices climb for targets, so does the annual salary.

With Collins locked up for four more years, his annual price will only shrink in time. And by the time he’s up for a new deal, perhaps he’s reached the perennial All-Pro status as those now swimming in sums of cash.

Even if Collins never duplicates his 2023 success, his annual salary will be manageable compared to others. The rest of the league is on notice of the ever-changing resetting market for pass-catchers in an expanded salary cap era.

The 49ers have to see Ayiuk reach similar numbers to his 2023 production justify the contract.

The Cowboys must see Lamb be a 1,500-yard playmaker to warrant his deal.

The Texans need Collins to remain on the field.

Given the trajectory of contracts, Houston might have hauled in the best contract of the offseason surrounding a blend of talent and cost.

DeMeco Ryans discusses Texans WR Robert Woods’ impact to offense

Robert Woods might not have been a favorite to make the Houston Texans’ active roster, but those in the building see his value entering 2024

Some expected Xavier Hutchinson to make the Houston Texans active 53-man roster following an impressive preseason.

Most figured a fully healthy John Metchie III would have one more chance to prove his potential as Houston’s long-term No. 3 target.

And the biggest shocker during Tuesday’s roster cutdowns was the release of veteran Noah Brown. Injuries aside, Houston wouldn’t have clinched its first division title since 2019 without the former Cowboys standout.

But as rosters were being finalized among media outlets entering cutdown days, veteran Robert Woods’ name was consistently left off. Many expected after the addition of four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs, Houston would field offers for a player pushed down the depth chart.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans never viewed Woods as someone flying under the radar.

“He’s been consistent all throughout camp,” Ryans said following roster cutdowns. “He’s been the same guy he’s been his entire career. Tough, dependable, smart guy you can count on each and every day. [The] guy shows up to work every day, works hard, he’s a great mentor to our younger guys. And Rob is a true leader of this team.”

Woods, who enters the final year of his two-year, $15 million deal, won’t be C.J. Stroud’s No. 3 target. That role belongs to either Diggs, Tank Dell or Nico Collins depending on the matchup.

Collins, who last season took over as Houston’s top target, won’t be leaving anytime soon after inking a three-year extension. Dell, a third-round pick of the University of Houston, might be poised for another breakout season after recovering from a broken fibula.

Everyone knows what Diggs brings to the offense. He was Josh Allen’s go-to option in the aerial attack for four seasons in Buffalo, helping the Bills reach four postseason appearances while also totaling at least 101 receptions per campaign.

Yet Woods offers position flexibility. He’s lined up in place of Woods, Diggs and Collins while running drills with the first-team offense. The 32-year-old also is consistent in the open field, rarely dropping passes while creating open avenues after the catch.

“I like to call him the OG in the room, because he is kind of the OG,” Hutchinson said. “But just like past his age and everything like that, just his presence, he’s comfortable in any situation. You can really bounce anything off of him. He’s there, he listens.”

Woods, who in 14 games last year caught 40 passes for 426 yards and a touchdown, picked up where he left off in the preseason. He led the Texans against the Pittsburgh Steelers with five catches for 42 yards and totaled four first-down conversions.

Where Woods offers the most upside beyond his flexibility is his leadership. Multiple Texans have pointed to his wisdom being a mainstay in the huddle and off the field.

“He’s just a guy that everyone likes and enjoys to be around,” said Hutchinson. “So, I find it very hard for him not to be in that room and not to be around this team and help us get to where this team wants to get to.”

Woods’ role remains undetermined on the field entering Week 1’s matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Off it, he’s essential to the success, meaning there’s a home for him in the huddle beyond the Xs and Os.