Dylan Horton is about to make his 2024 debut.
The second-year Houston Texans defensive end was officially activated after returning to practice earlier this week and will play against the Buffalo Bills.
In a corresponding move, the Texans have placed veteran defensive end Jerry Hughes on the injured reserve. Hughes was ruled out of Sunday’s game on Friday after missing practice with a hip injury.
#Texans depth thin at defensive end and running back, so they activated Dylan Horton from reserve-non-football illness list, elevated J.J. Taylor, placed Jerry Hughes on IR
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 5, 2024
A fourth-round pick out of TCU, Horton began the season on the non-football illness list. Last December, Horton was diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma and missed the remainder of the 2023 season.
In March, Horton announced he was in remission. He celebrated an important medical milestone, completing his final treatment by ringing the bell at M.D. Anderson hospital.
“For Dylan to be back after everything he has gone through, battling cancer, then to see him back on the field almost an entire year of missing football,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday. “The way he handled it and the mindset at which he handled it, he always still attacked it with a smile, he attacked it with a great attitude every single day.
The #Texans placed DE Jerry Hughes on IR and activated DE Dylan Horton. Per @TomPelissero pic.twitter.com/5PDI6Kgl19
— Dylan Delgatto (@DDelgattoNFL) October 5, 2024
“That’s just proof to everyone, no matter what we’re going through — there are a lot of people battling cancer, battling things in life — attacking it with the right mindset, a positive attitude, really goes a long way. And Dylan represents that, and we are all very thankful to have him back.”