Tag: Texans 2024

Texans legend J.J. Watt, wife Kealia announce pregnancy

Congrats to the Watt family for welcoming another member to the Texans clan!

Add a future Houston Texans star to the crew in 2025.

Three-time Defensive Player of the Year and Texans legend J.J. Watt and his wife, Kealia Watt, that the two are expecting their second child, posting a pregnancy announcement on Instagram Monday.

“Can’t wait to welcome new love into our lives,” the couple posted Monday afternoon, along with photos of Kealia’s baby bump.

The former Houston power couple welcomed their first child, Koa James, in October 2022. Three months following Koa’s birth, J.J. retired with the Arizona Cardinals.

J.J. played 10 of his 12 NFL seasons with the Texans before spending the final two years with the Cardinals. After retirement, he was inducted into the Texans’ Ring of Honor in 2023.

Kealia, who won a national championship at the University of North Carolina, was the No. 2 overall pick of the Houston Dash in the 2014 NWSL draft. She met J.J. through sister, Megan, who is married to Watt’s former Texans teammate Brian Cushing.

The two began dating in 2016 when Ohai was in her third season with the Dash. They married in 2020 shortly after Ohai was traded from the Dash to the Chicago Red Stars.

Since retiring, the Watt’s have been busy. J.J. currently works for CBS Sports as an analyst. The couple also are minority owners of the Premier League’s Burnley Football Club, which was relegated following the 2024 season.

Texans Wire Senior Bowl Q&A: Is Miami OL Jalen Rivers a fit in Houston?

Texans Wire recently spoke with Miami offensive lineman Jalen Rivers about his time at the 2025 Senior Bowl.

Senior Bowl week has come and gone and it featured a host of excellent interior offensive linemen.

North Dakota State do-it-all lineman Grey Zabel stole the headlines but teammate and former Hurricanes star Jalen Rivers has quietly also had an excellent week in Mobile.

The former four-star prospect started multiple seasons for the Miami Hurricanes and earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2023.

Rivers has experience playing both guard and tackle entering in the NFL and that should make him a valuable selection on the 2nd day of the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

Texans Wire spoke with Rivers down in Mobile last week. He confirmed he met with Houston Texans but also spoke about his college experience and the upside he’ll bring to the NFL level.

Texans Wire: Talk to me about your thought process on what brought you to the Senior Bowl? 

JALEN RIVERS: “So I feel like my work ethic and you know, the work that I put out throughout my whole college career led me to this point and leading to Jim Nagy offering the invitation. I guess he and his support staff all saw that, I was a great talent to be a part of this bowl game and I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

TW: By all accounts, you’re having a phenomenal week, though. Have you felt about it? How’s it been with your teammates on the field?

RIVERS: “It’s been a great opportunity and it’s been a great experience so far. A little bit of a challenge obviously. Learning new systems like this, meeting, you know, as offensive linemen, you want that continuity you want that camaraderie with all the guys on the line. So just getting to a point where you got to make that bond quickly and to play a bowl game this week in a matter of just one week. It’s been great.I wouldn’t trade it for anything and it’s been great getting to know all the guys and I feel like everybody didn’t know what to expect but now we’re loving the process and getting to know each other.”

TW: How did your experience at Miami prepare you for the NFL?

RIVERS: “I wouldn’t even take all the credit and only talk about me. I want to credit everybody who’s been around me, my coaches from all the levels, and throughout my different years in college. I had two head coaches who were two offensive line coaches. Everybody who’s been in my corner really helped me get to this point, but it’s me wanting to want to get better and who helped me get better were my coaches, my teammates and really the University of Miami. I’m glad that I got to be at this school, to go through that whole process and end up being here because of them.”

TW: What kind of player and teammate is your future NFL team getting?

RIVERS: “First I want to say you’re getting a guy that’s willing to work and would do anything in his power to get better. You’re getting a guy that’s going to want to be around the guys because you need that brotherhood, you need somebody to lean on and talk to. And, most importantly, you need your brothers to win. So I’m one of those guys that will come in willing to learn, to be selfless and to do anything the team requires of me to get to the point of winning and creating that bond.

TW: Where do you see yourself playing on the offensive line in the NFL?

RIVERS: “I would say I love to play tackle. I came into college starting at guard and I feel like it’s hard to really choose just one. Whatever role they’re asking me of me, but you know, everybody said you had to pick one spot and it’s hard to. I feel like I’m a guard that can play tackle. So whatever they need, it’s been great having those experiences.”

TW: Have you met with the Houston Texans this week?

RIVERS: Yeah, I have.

TW: How did that meeting go?

RIVERS: “It went great. I think that day it was quick, but it was great. I think we talked 10 minutes maybe, but it was good. I loved the scouts that I talked to, it was a great experience. We talked about upbringing, background, all that.”

TW: How would it feel to play with Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, quarterback C.J. Stroud and all the Houston players?

RIVERS: “I the guys you name, who wouldn’t want to play next to them or who wouldn’t want to protect C.J. Stroud? He’s a great quarterback going into his third year and that would be great.”

C.J. Stroud pulling for Washington QB Jayden Daniels after ‘best rookie season of all-time’

C.J. Stroud is pulling for the young gun for the rest of the postseason after a breakout year in Washington.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud set records during his rookie season en route to reviving a bottom-dwelling franchise toward the divisional round.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels did even more a season later.

“I’m so proud of him. In my opinion, he’s had the best rookie year of all-time,” Stroud said of Daniels on Monday following Houston’s exit from the divisional round.

Daniels, who’s one game away from being the first rookie in league history to play in the Super Bowl, has been on a tear this postseason. After guiding Washington to a 12-5 record, Daniels has thrown for 567 yards and four touchdowns and has yet to have a turnover.

On the biggest stage, Daniels responded to being on the biggest stage of his career by going 22-of-31 with 299 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit. In two postseason games, he has a passer rating of 122.9.

Stroud, who hails from Rancho Cucamonga, praised the San Bernardino native for his ability to represent the state of California for the next crop of young talent.

“I’m so happy for that dude, not only just for him. The motivation that he’s giving, back home where we come from, you have no idea,” Stroud said.

“It’s giving kids back home hope that they can do it, too.”

When asked who he’s pulling for in the conference championship, Stroud didn’t hesitate to show a bit of Cali bias.

“I don’t root for many other teams, but I’m rooting for my boy,” Stroud said. “I’m rooting for the Commanders.”

The second-year quarterback finished the season with a 63.2 completion percentage for 3,727 yards and 20 touchdowns against 12 interceptions while posting an 87.0 passer rating.

Updated 2025 NFL draft order after Divisional Round

With the divisional round officially in the books, here’s the latest draft order heading into the conference title games.

The Houston Texans now know when they’re on the clock.

With the divisional round officially over, the first 28 picks of the 2025 NFL draft order have been finalized.

Twenty-four picks were set entering the weekend but with the Texans, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens four more picks have been confirmed.

The Texans will pick at No. 25. The Lions, who were shocked at Ford Field on Saturday night against the Washington Commanders, will pick at No. 28 after securing a 15-2 record.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans are now on the clock following a nine-point loss to Houston while donning the Oilers uniforms.

Here’s an updated look at the 2025 NFL draft order following wild-card weekend action, courtesy of the folks at Tankathon:

Texans waive WR Diontae Johnson after two games

Diontae Johnson’s time with the Houston Texans has come to an end.

Diontae Johnson wanted a fresh start with the Houston Texans.

Three weeks later, he’ll look for his fifth “fresh start” of the 2024 season.

The Texans waived the veteran receiver on Tuesday morning, ending his stay with the AFC South champions less than a month after being placed on waivers by the Baltimore Ravens.

Initially expected to replace Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs are the No. 2 receiver in the passing game, Johnson rarely saw action in Saturday’s 31-12 wild-card round win over the Los Angeles Chargers, catching one pass for a 12-yard gain.

After missing Week 17’s Christmas Day matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Johnson returned one punt for zero yards in 22 snaps and 37 percent of the offensive playing time during a 23-14 win over the Tennessee Titans. He caught two passes for 12 yards on four targets with one first down.

“With Diontae, I was really impressed with this last week of practice,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said before the Chargers game. “I thought he picked up on the things we were asking him to do. I thought he had some really nice catches, really nice plays throughout practice and he got in the game.

“We will start to continue to feed him more to see how he can help us.”

After a seven-week debacle with the Ravens, Johnson landed on waivers. Before his release, Baltimore suspended him for one game for his refusal to play against the Eagles.

The Ravens had acquired him in a trade with the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29 to serve as the No. 2 target opposite Zay Flowers, but he played only 39 snaps for the team, catching one pass for 6 yards.

In Carolina, Johnson had 30 catches for 257 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina through seven games. He had been traded to the NFC South franchise in the offseason by the Pittsburgh Steelers after dealing with drama in the 2023 campaign.

A former 2019 third-round pick out of Toledo, Johnson finished with 391 catches for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in Pittsburgh. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 with his lone 1,000-yard season and a career-high eight touchdown receptions en route to helping the Steelers make the playoffs in 2021.

The Texans take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round this Saturday on ESPN and ABC. Kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round set following Sunday Night Football

Here’s the newest playoff update following Sunday night’s matchup in the wild-card round.

The Houston Texans know their next opponent following a 32-12 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on wild-card weekend.

Everyone else also knows who they’ll face in the divisional round after the Washington Commanders doinked their way past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Here’s the new bracket for both the AFC and NFC Divisional Round, including kickoff times and network provider.

NFL playoff bracket update

AFC Divisional Round

No. 4 Houston Texans vs. No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs  –  Saturday, January 18, 4:30 p.m. ET kickoff, ESPN/ABC

No. 3 Baltimore Ravens vs. No. 2 Buffalo Bills – Sunday, January 19, 8:15 p.m. ET, CBS

NFC Divisional Round

No. 6 Washington Commanders vs. No. 1 Detroit Lions –  Saturday, January 18, 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff, FOX

No.4 Los Angeles Rams/No. 5 Minnesota Vikings vs. No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles – Sunday, January 19, 3:00 p.m. ET, NBC

Instant analysis: Texans secure 10-win season with backups in victory over Titans

The Houston Texans now have secured another 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud with a victory in Week 18.

Despite the injuries.

Despite the inconsistencies on offense.

Despite knowing nothing would change on Sunday, the Houston Texans didn’t care.

Ten wins is better than nine.

Behind Davis Mills and a 100-plus yard rushing performance from Dameon Pierce, the Texans secured a 23-14 win over the Tennessee Titans en route to a second 10-win season under DeMeco Ryans.

In the process, the Titans secured the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft after the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills in the regular season finale.

Now Houston waits to see if it’s hosting either the Los Angeles Chargers, who played at the Raiders later Sunday, or Pittsburgh in an AFC wild-card game. With a Chargers’ win, Los Angeles would head to NRG Stadium.

While the Texans planned on playing starters, Ryans never said how long they’d stay in the lineup. C.J. Stroud completed all six of his passes for 50 yards and a touchdown on the Texans’ opening drive before going to the bench.

Nico Collins and Joe Mixon also made history by securing 1,000-yard seasons in receiving and rushing, respectivley. Mixon, who finished with 23 yards, became the first Texans running back to hit the 1,000-yard marker since Carlos Hyde in 2019.

Collins, who finished with 38 receiving yards, joined Brandin Cooks, DeAndre Hopkins and Hall of Fame receiver Andre Johnson as the only players to total back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Houston history.

Pierce finished with a career-high 176 rushing yards, including a 97-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. The run marks the second-longest play from scrimmage in franchise history.

While Will Levis might not be the long-term answer in Nashville, he saw more reps than veteran Mason Rudolph. He had a better day than advertised, finishing with 175 yards, including a 49-yard TD pass to Tay Martin with 2:41 left.

Tennesseee tried to recover the onside kick, but Robert Woods was in the right place to shore up the victory.

Levis might be remembered for a play that helped Houston secure a two-possession win. Defensive end Derek Barnett got the ball on a botched handoff by Levis to Josh Oliver early in the fourth quarter and ran it back 36 yards for a TD.

The “thicc-sx” was Barnett’s second such return for a TD this season and the third of his career.

Houston ends its two-game losing streak after securing the division title in Week 15’s win over the Miami Dolphins.

Stroud and Ryans also made history as the first QB-head coach duo to win the division back-to-back years in their first two seasons.

They now head home to watch what happens out in Las Vegas.

Texans vs. Titans inactives: Is Will Anderson Jr. out?

Here’s who’s NOT playing for the Houston Texans in Week 18’s regular-season finale.

The Houston Texans (9-7) have released their inactive list ahead of Week 18’s showdown against the Tennessee Titans (3-13). With a win, Houston would secure its second double-digit win season under DeMeco Ryans.

Defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is a healthy scratch after dealing with a hand injury in Week 17’s battle against the Baltimore Ravens. Third-year linebacker Christian Harris also is a healthy scratch, though he was listed as questionable coming into Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.

Here’s a look at the full inactive for both the Texans and Titans.

Texans inactives

  • DE Will Anderson Jr.
  • LB Christian Harris
  • CB Jeff Okudah
  • DL Denico Autry
  • DL Foley Fatukasi
  • OL Shaq Mason
  • OL Nick Broeker

Titans inactives

  • WR Tyler Boyd
  • OT Jaelyn Duncan
  • S Amani Hooker
  • OLB Arden Key
  • RB Tyjae Spears
  • K Nick Folk
  • WR Jha’Quan Jackson

Kickoff from Nissan Stadium is scheduled for noon CT.

Is Diontae Johnson playing Sunday? Latest updates for Texans new WR

Diontae Johnson will see action on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans are at a crossroads entering Week 18 of the regular season.

Starters are expected to play against the Tennessee Titans, but the question is for how long? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans initially didn’t plan on playing starters, but after an abysmal outing against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, plans changed.

“For us right now, we’ve got to go play better,” Ryans said. “Our last outing on the field was not good enough. It was not representative of who we are. Defensively, offensively, just not a good representation of our team entirely. So we’ve got to go out and play better football.”

Among those who could miss the second half is wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Acquired off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens, Johnson is ready to make his Texans’ debut before the postseason.

Coaches and players believe he’ll elevate the passing attack for C.J. Stroud on Sunday in Nashville and throughout the postseason.

“Diontae Johnson, he’s gonna look real good out there for us,” Texans running back Joe Mixon said Thursday. “Incorporating him into the offense, I think that was major. I’ve played against him for years. I’ve obviously respected him as a football player.

“He learned the offense real fast. The way him and C.J. are clicking, I love to see. In terms of going into the postseason, you can never take that for granted.”

Diontae Johnson update

Johnson will play on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Should the Texans pull out to a significant lead, Ryans will probably keep him in for the second half to get him acclimated to the system.

While new, the coaching staff has been impressed with Johnson’s attentiveness and work ethic. He’s been a staple in practice under a fresh start in Houston.

“With Diontae, adding him to our team, he’s a guy who has talent,” Ryans said. “He’s done it at a high level for other teams. He’s bounced around a little bit here. As I mentioned to him, he, of course, has a clean slate starting with me. It really doesn’t matter what has happened in the past or what the narrative is about you. You come here and everything is a fresh start. And so we’ll see how he can help us, what he can add to our team. on the field and off the field.”

Diontae Johnson stats

Before the trade to Baltimore, the Carolina Panthers acquired Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. He had 30 catches for 257 yards and three touchdowns for Carolina when he was dealt to the Ravens.

With Baltimore, he played in only 39 snaps, collecting one catch for six yards.

Johnson told reporters earlier this week he’s excited to be back on the field in a culture that fits him best while looking for a fresh start.

“Team first,” Johnson said. “Everybody is about the team, I’m about the team, too. So I’m doing whatever the coach is asking me to do.”

Texans WR depth chart

With Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell on the season-ending injured reserve, the Texans have relied heavily on Nico Collins as the top threat. He’s expected to play the first half, needing just 32 yards to become the fourth player in franchise history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

Behind Johnson and Collins are Robert Woods, John Metchie III, and Xavier Hutchinson.

Is Joe Mixon playing Sunday? Latest updates for Texans RB

Joe Mixon will see action on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans are at a crossroads entering Week 18 of the regular season.

Starters are expected to play against the Tennessee Titans, but the question is for how long? Texans coach DeMeco Ryans initially didn’t plan on playing starters, but after an abysmal outing against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, plans changed.

“For us right now, we’ve got to go play better,” Ryans said. “Our last outing on the field was not good enough. It was not representative of who we are. Defensively, offensively, just not a good representation of our team entirely. So we’ve got to go out and play better football.”

Among those who could miss the second half is running back Joe Mixon. Houston’s lead runner is on the verge of making history after securing his place in the Pro Bowl, but the Texans are looking to win.

Mixon also wants to end the season on a high note after failing to find the end zone against Baltimore on Christmas Day.

“You’ve got 14 teams left and from there, it’s time to put your best stuff on tape,” Mixon said Thursday. “I think that we have a great opportunity in front of us to go out there against Tennessee to try and do whatever we can to go into the playoffs with a great taste.”

Joe Mixon update

Mixon will play on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. Should the Texans pull out to a significant lead, Ryans could elect to rest him for next week’s wild-card round.

After signing a three-year extension following the trade from Cincinnati, Mixon has been the backbone of the offense. He’s only seven yards shy of becoming the first running back since Carlos Hyde to rush for 1,000 yards in a Texans uniform.

“I thought that we had a hell of a week of practice,”  Mixon said. “The way that we responded from last week, I think everybody is just (going up) right now. Everything was timing up in practice with (quarterback) C.J. (Stroud), receivers, linemen and everybody being in sync.”

Joe Mixon stats

In 13 starts, Mixon has rushed 993 yards on 240 carries for 11 touchdowns. He’s averaging 4.1 yards per attempt.

Texans RB depth chart

Dameon Pierce would start or replace Mixon should the Texans bench their starters on Sunday. In 12 games, Pierce has rushed for 117 yards on 21 carries.

Dare Ogunbowale, who’s been the third-down pass-catching back, should see extensive reps, too.