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Texans Interested In Acquiring Running Back

By | at October 22, 2025 10:30 pm

With injured starter Joe Mixon uncertain to play in 2025, the Texans have interest in acquiring a running back before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.

Mixon, acquired from the Bengals in March 2024, was one of the Texans’ top offensive weapons during an AFC South-winning campaign last year. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod after rushing for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns on 245 carries over 14 games. Mixon also added 36 catches for 309 yards and another score.

The Texans have taken steps backward during a 2-4 start this season, and they’ve gotten nothing from Mixon. The 29-year-old remains on the reserve/NFI list with a foot/ankle injury. There’s still no word on whether he’ll play this season. Regardless, the Texans could move on from Mixon in the offseason. Although they signed him to a three-year, $27MM extension after trading for him, none of his $8MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed.

The Texans are months away from deciding Mixon’s future. In the meantime, they’ll look to improve a ground game that ranks a below-average 18th in yards per game (106.2).

Quarterback C.J. Stroud easily leads the team in yards per carry (7.3), though he has only totaled 20 attempts. Running back Nick Chubb has averaged a respectable 4.2 per tote and added two touchdowns on a team-high 63 carries. However, after an injury-riddled last couple of years in Cleveland, Chubb isn’t the workhorse he once was. The 29-year-old hasn’t totaled more than 13 attempts in a game this season. He ran just five times for 16 yards in a loss to the Seahawks in Week 7.

Rookie fourth-rounder Woody Marks joined Chubb in struggling in Seattle. The Seahawks held him to 15 yards on 10 tries, though he did pick up a receiving touchdown. Marks has scored three TDs (one on the ground), but he has posted a meager 3.3 YPC on 46 attempts.

As for other in-house options, Dameon Pierce has fallen out of favor since a 939-yard rushing season as a rookie in 2022. The Texans have made him a healthy inactive four times this year, including in Seattle. He has recorded just 10 carries in 2025, while Dare Ogunbowale and British Brooks have combined for four.

With just under two weeks left until the deadline, no RB has come up in trade rumors more than the Jets’ Breece Hall. The pending free agent ranks 12th in the league in carries (99) and 13th in yards (448). He could be on the Texans’ radar.

As is the case with Hall, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Browns’ Jerome Ford head elsewhere soon. The former Chubb backfield mate has taken on a diminished role this season with the emergence of rookie Quinshon Judkins. It would make sense for the Browns to move Ford for the best offer.

Graziano points to the Dolphins’ Jaylen Wright as another potential deadline acquisition. After rushing for 249 yards on 68 attempts as a rookie in 2024, Wright has played in just one game and hasn’t gotten a carry this year. Wright has fallen behind rookie backup Ollie Gordon on the depth chart, which could lead him out of Miami and perhaps to Houston before the deadline.

28 comments Houston Texans Miami Dolphins

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/22/25

By | at October 22, 2025 7:36 pm

Here are today’s midweek minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Designated to return from IR: QB Will Howard
  • Waived (with injury settlement): T Gareth Warren

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While several players were designated to return from injured reserve today, Norton and Johnson’s designations took place back on 8/26, the roster cut deadline. The Texans are in danger of being without their top three receivers in Week 8. Tank Dell is already on IR, but Nico Collins and Christian Kirk’s statuses for the weekend are up in the air as Collins deals with a concussion and Kirk has been dealing with n hamstring injury.

Not that they’ve needed him, since Aaron Rodgers has looked a bit more effective than he was in his days with the Jets, but Howard is nearing a return to the roster for the remainder of his rookie season. It will be interesting to see where the sixth-rounder slots in on the depth chart as he adds another level of security behind the 41-year-old Rodgers.

2 comments Atlanta Falcons Cincinnati Bengals Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Miami Dolphins New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/20/25

By | at October 20, 2025 6:11 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It didn’t take long for Arthur Maulet to earn a full-time spot on the Lions active roster. The veteran cornerback just joined the organization earlier this month, and he already had one promotion in Week 6. He’ll likely continue seeing a rotational role in Detroit’s secondary moving forward, although his addition is partly due to absences from Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed.

The Patriots snagged a linebacker from the Chargers today. Caleb Murphy has some familiarity with Mike Vrabel, as the former Titans coach added the linebacker as an undrafted free agent back in 2023. Murphy has gotten into 14 games in stints with the Titans and Chargers, compiling 17 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

1 comment Detroit Lions Houston Texans Los Angeles Chargers New England Patriots Seattle Seahawks Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions

Texans Activate Denico Autry, Jaylen Reed

By | at October 20, 2025 2:46 pm

Shortly before their 21-day activations windows closed, both Denico Autry and Jaylen Reed are back in the fold. Both defenders were activated by the Texans on Monday, per a team announcement.

Autry was moved to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns. Reed, meanwhile, was classified as injured reserve-designated for return at that time. In both cases, an absence of at least the first four games of the season was guaranteed. Both players returned to practice at the beginning of October, opening their three-week activation windows.

Most of that time has been used up, but the timing of today’s move ensures Autry and Reed will be in the fold moving forward. They are both on the active roster in time to play in tonight’s contest against the Seahawks. Houston already has the league’s No. 1 defense in terms of points allowed per game (12.2), and that unit will now have reinforcements.

Autry dealt with a lingering knee injury dating back to last season while preparing for the current campaign. Upon returning from suspension last year, the 35-year-old posted three sacks in 10 games. That marked a notable decline relative to his highly productive Titans stint prior to arriving in Houston. Still, the 12th-year veteran will offer solid depth to the pass rush tandem of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr.

Reed was taken in the sixth round of April’s draft. He will look to provide depth at the safety spot, something which would be welcomed after the decision to move on from C.J. Gardner-Johnson during the season. A large special teams workload could await Reed during his rookie campaign. The Texans still have seven of their eight allotted IR activations for the season since designating Reed for return in August used one.

In a corresponding move, cornerback Zion Childress has been waived. The undrafted rookie made a pair of appearances with Dallas before signing to Houston’s active roster. That did not result in further playing time, though, and Childress will now hit the waiver wire.

0 comments Houston Texans Transactions

NFL’s Rehearing Request In Brian Flores Suit Denied

By | at October 19, 2025 12:49 pm

The NFL is currently reeling in its active, high-profile legal battles. In a post on X earlier this month, Wigdor LLP – one of the firms representing Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in his class-action suit against the league and six of its teams – said the NFL’s petition for a rehearing of a recent Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Flores’ favor was denied.

In August, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit affirmed a lower court holding that Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, Giants, and Texans – were allowed to proceed to court rather than remain in arbitration. The appellate court reasoned that Flores never signed contracts containing mandatory arbitration language with those clubs (the basis for his claims against those three outfits is that they allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule). As such, the Defendants could not force those particular claims to arbitration.

The NFL subsequently sought a rehearing before the Second Circuit’s full 13-judge panel, but as noted by Wigdor LLP, that attempt was unsuccessful. It is unclear whether the league will appeal to the United States Supreme Court, but even if it does, the odds of any party securing a review before the highest court in the nation are quite slim.

So for now, Flores – whose suit includes as co-Plaintiffs current Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and former NFL staffer Ray Horton, who worked as a DC for three different clubs – will have the opportunity to air a portion of his claims in the forum of an open court instead of the sheltered, league-friendly arbitration setting. The motion he recently filed in a renewed effort to remove his and his co-Plaintiffs’ claims against the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans from arbitration to open court is still pending.

This decision comes on the heels of another failed arbitration-related attempt on the league’s part. The Nevada Supreme Court recently held that former Bucs and Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s suit against the NFL could proceed to open court, and the league’s motion to have a rehearing of that ruling was also denied.

Given these recent developments, there soon may be some substantive movement in both matters. Gruden’s suit was filed in November 2021, and Flores filed his action just a few months later, in February 2022. As of yet, however, neither proceeding has moved to a trial on the merits of the disputes.

4 comments Denver Broncos Houston Texans New York Giants

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/16/25

By | at October 16, 2025 6:45 pm

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Free Agency

  • Suspended: DT Alex Williams

Free agent defensive tackle Alex Williams has been hit with a six-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of league rules, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. The Ohio State product joined the Vikings as a UDFA this past offseason, but a fractured ankle landed him on season-ending IR. He was waived from injured reserve in September, allowing him to suit up elsewhere during the 2025 campaign, although those chances obviously took a significant blow today.

0 comments Houston Texans Kansas City Chiefs Transactions

Bengals Contacted Several Teams On QBs; Cincinnati Considered Derek Carr

By | at October 12, 2025 9:55 pm

The Bengals went from throwing support behind Jake Browning to frantically seeking an outside upgrade. Joe Flacco became that option, being sent across Ohio early this week in a Day 3 pick-swap exchange.

Prior to landing on Flacco — a development that surprised the Browns — the Bengals looked into many reserve QBs around the league and one who recently wrapped his NFL career. In addition to calling the Eagles on Sam Howell and the Seahawks on Drew Lock, the Bengals contacted the Texans on Davis Mills, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

[RELATED: Flacco Hail Mary Comes At Key Point On Bengals’ Timeline]

A long-hesitant franchise regarding the acquisition of players via in-season trades, the Bengals also made a call on Derek Carr. Rapoport indicates the recently retired passer became part of Cincinnati’s search. Had this progressed, the team would have needed to make a deal with the Saints for Carr’s rights. Like they did with Sean Payton when he stepped away in 2022, the Saints hold Carr’s rights after his mid-offseason retirement.

Carr did not enter the offseason assured of retaining his starting job. Kellen Moore took over in New Orleans, leading to rumors about a QB change — even in the event Carr kept playing. Two years remained on his Saints contract. Carr was not open to a pay cut on the four-year, $150MM deal and remained in the Saints’ plans for several weeks between Moore’s arrival and the post-draft retirement decision. As of September, Carr has not slammed the door on returning. But with the Saints needing compensation, that introduced a wrinkle they may have kept the 11-year veteran in retirement.

This certainly would have presented an interesting opportunity for Carr, as the Bengals paid up to retain their high-end Ja’Marr Chase–Tee Higgins duo this offseason. Carr struggled to stay healthy in New Orleans, running into a few injuries. Most notably, a shoulder malady sustained in 2023 plagued him and ultimately led the ex-Raider to retirement. Should health circumstances improve, that could conceivably change the equation. Carr did gauge the trade market this offseason. But Carr is 34, limiting his window. During the summer, a report also indicated the former playoff starter is not likely to return to the league.

The Bengals made calls to teams with three quarterbacks and those with viable practice squad options, Rapoport adds. Mills obviously remains in the Texans‘ plans, having signed a one-year extension that moves his contract through 2026 in September. The Texans also rebuffed trade inquiries on Mills in 2023, keeping he and Case Keenum behind C.J. Stroud that season. A 2021 third-round pick, Mills has played his entire career in Houston. The team replaced him as their primary starter via the Stroud selection but still values him in the QB2 post.

Cincinnati did not inquire about Giants veterans, Kirk Cousins or Ryan Tannehill. In not making Tannehill part of their QB search, the Bengals wanted a player who had been active recently, Rapoport adds. Tannehill has not played since the 2023 season, when the Titans benched him for second-round rookie Will Levis. Tannehill had been connected to the Vikings early this offseason and later came up for the Raiders following Aidan O’Connell‘s injury, but the 37-year-old passer remains out of football.

Flacco, 40, will make a start despite being acquired Tuesday afternoon. The Bengals sent Flacco cutups on his flight from Cleveland, per Rapoport, as he was getting up to speed in Zac Taylor‘s offense by Tuesday night. With the Browns giving Flacco two weeks to prepare before his first start with the team in 2023, today’s shorter-notice Packers matchup presents a daunting assignment. For the foreseeable future, however, the Bengals will have Flacco at the controls.

20 comments Cincinnati Bengals Houston Texans New Orleans Saints Uncategorized

Trade Candidate: Christian Harris

By | at October 10, 2025 9:50 am

Through his first three seasons with the Texans, Christian Harris totaled 26 starts. Now a pending free agent, the linebacker’s role has declined sharply in 2025, leading to questions about his future.

Harris handled over 700 defensive snaps during each of first two seasons in the league. He remained a full-time starter for the 2024 campaign but was limited to just five combined regular and postseason games that year due to a calf injury. The former third-rounder then dealt with an ankle injury during the offseason, but he managed to return to full health in time for training camp.

That resulted in Harris playing in each of Houston’s first four games. During that span, however, the Alabama product saw a snap share of just 13% on defense, a massive drop compared to his other seasons. Harris was a healthy scratch in Week 5. Given his status as a player seemingly not in the team’s immediate plans – coupled with the fact he is attached to the final year of his rookie contract – ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler names Harris as a trade candidate.

Per Fowler, Harris is held in high regard by other teams. That could result in a market being generated with respect to trade interest, especially since he is 24. Harris is attached to a base salary of $3.41MM for 2025; an acquiring team would need to take on a prorated portion of that figure to close out the campaign. Any team willing to trade for him now (as opposed to a free agent pursuit) would presumably look into an extension as well.

After making a notable impact as a rookie, Harris set career highs in tackles (101), sacks (two) and pass deflections (seven) in 2023. Returning to that level of performance would be key in helping his market value, but it appears as though that will not be possible down the stretch if the rest of Houston’s linebacking corps remains healthy. The Texans have Azeez Al-Shaair, Henry To’oTo’o and free agent addition E.J. Speed in place, with each having handled a larger workload than Harris this season. Al-Shaair is under contract for next year, while To’oTo’o will be eligible for an extension this coming spring.

If those two remain key parts in the Texans’ plans for the second level of their defense, moving on from Harris before the November 4 deadline could be a sensible move. Sitting at 2-3 on the year, Houston will presumably avoid a seller’s stance if the team can continue the momentum generated over the past two weeks. Still, Harris will be a player to watch regarding a change of scenery if he continues to serve in a limited capacity leading up to the deadline.

0 comments Houston Texans PFR Originals Trade Candidate

Traded Draft Picks For 2026

By | at October 8, 2025 8:05 pm

Many clubs have made moves to acquire 2026 draft capital. Headlined by the seven trades where first-round picks have changed hands, here are the 2026 picks to have changed hands thus far. When more deals involving picks are made (or conditions on moves already completed become known), that information will be added.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

5 comments 2026 NFL Draft Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans Washington Commanders
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