Houston Texans tight end Jordan Thomas had a promising rookie season. The 2018 sixth-round pick from Mississippi State started in 10 of his 16 games played, and seemed to develop into a red zone target as all four of his touchdowns were inside the 20-yard line. The 6-5, 277-pound big target caught 20 passes for 215 yards and developed a chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Then, the Texans signed Darren Fells in 2019 free agency.
Then, the Texans picked Kahale Warring in the third round of that April’s draft.
Then, Thomas sustained a rib injury in preseason that landed him on injured reserve as the Texans had to trim down to a 53-man roster by Aug. 31. The Sumrall (Miss.) High School product wouldn’t be eligible to play until Week 9.
When Thomas did return from injured reserve, he logged five games, two of which he started, and caught one 8-yard pass from Watson. All of the gains Thomas had made over his rookie season were lost.
Now, Thomas finds himself in a precarious position as he enters his third NFL season.
Fells developed that same chemistry with Watson in his absence and took it to the next level with 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. The Texans liked the cohesion Fells and Watson had in the red zone that they brought Fells back after his one-year deal expired.
Houston has a third-round pick invested in Warring. The coaching staff won’t brush him aside and let a pick from the top-100 of the 2019 draft class go to waste. The same can also be said of Jordan Akins, a third-rounder from 2018, who caught 36 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns last season.
The odds are against Thomas. He costs the Texans $949,602 against the salary cap, which isn’t much. The same can also be said of the dead money to cut him, which is $29,602, according to Spotrac.
Thomas’ best shot is to take advantage of the reps he is given, whether by beating out some of the other tight ends on the roster or having the fortune to stay healthy when they are ailing. Whatever the case, the former Bulldog has to realize he is the underdog in the tight end room.
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