Darren Fells signed a two-year contract with the Houston Texans in the offseason.
For the first time since 2013-16 when the former basketball player was with the Arizona Cardinals, Fells would be staying with the same team.
“Obviously, it’s one of those things that I know I had to adjust to every single year having to go to a new team, so being able to come back to the same team and have a home, that’s a huge thing,” Fells said.
Fells knows his role with the Texans as he enters another season with Houston: the red zone. The 6-7, 270-pound tight end hauled in seven touchdown catches, all in the red zone. The scoring reception total matched DeAndre Hopkins’ total for the team-high in 2019.
With the Texans emphasizing third-year Jordan Akins as the team’s top tight end on the depth chart, Fells will be in the red zone threat role again.
“Also knowing my role going back in there and knowing what they expect from me, so I was able to work on things that I know I can improve on and get better on and help out the team pretty much,” said Fells.
Coach and general manager Bill O’Brien wanted to comprise the 2020 roster with “dependable, tough, smart” players and provide layers of productivity. Fells fit that bill, which is why reaching a contract agreement with the tight end was pretty easy.
“Really a guy that is just a really mature, good person who cares about winning, who cares about being a good teammate,” O’Brien said. “He really works hard to improve. We do a lot of things with the tight ends and he came into our system last year and he really learns well. He was able to produce. [Quarterback] Deshaun (Watson) has a lot of confidence in him in the passing game.”
The Texans also value Fells’ ability as a blocker. Houston has all five starting offensive linemen returning, and they will also have one of their better perimeter blockers reprising his role for 2020.
In the offseason, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Fells’ wife ensured her husband didn’t catch the illness, even if it meant he had to stay at home more with their two kids.
“My wife made me stay home because she said I’m the moneymaker, so I’m not allowed to get sick,” said Fells. “I was doing a lot more fatherhood stuff. I have a four-year-old and a two-year-old, so we were doing a lot of bike riding, swimming, just spending a lot of time with my kids and enjoying that time that I had.”
Fells was the Texans’ moneymaker in the red zone, and he seeks to do that and more in his second year in Houston.
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