The Houston Texans claimed running back Royce Freeman off waivers Tuesday.
The former Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers running back had been placed on the waiver wire after a dismal start to the 2021 campaign. Freeman provided the Panthers with 21 carries for 77 yards and caught three passes for 15 yards.
Although the Panthers are without running back Christian McCaffrey, Chuba Hubbard has done an effective job in his absence to not warrant the contributions from Freeman.
The former 2018 third-round pick from Oregon was part of a two-headed monster in the Broncos’ backfield from 2018-20 that featured Phillip Lindsay more as the dominant head. However, Freeman was able to be an effective complement. In his 46 games in Denver, eight of which he started, Freeman carried 297 times for 1,187 yards and eight touchdowns while also catching 69 passes for 409 yards and a touchdown.
Freeman has only missed three games in his career, and at 25 years old, he should still have enough tread on the tire to help the Texans’ run game, which has only eclipsed the 100-yard mark as a team twice throughout its past nine games.
The Texans made the move to get Freeman as they placed Scottie Phillips on injured reserve. Houston had initially given the second-year back from Ole Miss snaps with the trade of Mark Ingram to the New Orleans Saints. However, with Phillips unavailable, the Texans are going with a player who has complemented Lindsay throughout his career.
The Texans are on their bye week for Week 10. Houston returns to action on Nov. 21 when they play the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.