Not long ago, tight end Jordan Thomas was primed for a feature role in the Houston Texans’ offense. Then he cracked a rib in the preseason and subsequently went on injured reserve.
While watching from the sidelines, Thomas, 23, witnessed tight ends Darren Fells and Jordan Akins establish themselves as key components in the Texans’ offense. On Thursday, Houston activated him from the injured reserve.
“Jordan, we decided to activate him. He had practiced well and I think yesterday he got in there a little bit,” said coach Bill O’Brien on Friday.
Thomas played seven snaps in the Texans’ Week 12 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Mississippi State product did not receive a target.
Despite a lack of attention on Thursday night, Houston figures that Thomas will be an integral part of their offense moving forward.
“I think over time he’s going to add a dimension in the running game and in the passing game,” said O’Brien.
Thomas measures in at a big 6-5, 277 pounds. As a rookie in 2018, he recorded 20 receptions for 215 yards and four touchdowns. He did his most work in the red zone.
According to Player Profiler, Thomas possessed a 13.4% red zone target rate in 2018. His seven receptions in the compacted area were ninth in the NFL for tight ends. All four of his touchdowns came in the red zone.
“He’s big, he’s athletic, he’s got great hands, he’s become a better blocker over time, so we’ll keep incorporating him into the offense,” O’Brien concluded. “It’s good to have him back.”
Houston is not afraid to incorporate their tight ends. Fells leads the NFL in touchdowns at the position (six), Akins acts as a motion weapon and improved blocker. Thomas will give the team size, previous rapport with Deshaun Watson and a red zone threat. That doesn’t hurt during the stretch run of the season.