Texans LB Christian Harris Expected To Return By Training Camp
A calf injury suffered last summer led to an extended absence for Texans linebacker Christian Harris. After returning to the field in time for the final five combined regular and postseason games of the 2024 campaign, an ankle injury cost him time this offseason. 
Harris has been recovering during voluntary workouts and OTAs. He is not expected to participate in on-field work during Houston’s upcoming minicamp, but KPCR2′ Aaron Wilson reports “steady progress” is being made in his recovery. As a result, the 24-year-old is set to receive full clearance in time for training camp.
“Yeah, he’s been here working, like he always is,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said (via Wilson) when speaking about Harris’ situation. “Christian has been doing his thing. All the guys are on different plans and routines. The goal is to get all these guys ready for camp, and he’s on track to be there for us.”
Harris was limited to 12 games as a rookie, but he flashed considerable potential while handling a heavy defensive workload. The former third-rounder saw a drop in snap share (to 71%) the following season but he remained a productive contributor on the team’s defense with 101 stops, seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Expectations were high entering the 2024 campaign as a result, but the calf stain cost Harris much of the regular season.
The Alabama product’s ability to return to full health this year will be key for team and player. Harris will look to earn a first-team gig while competing with incumbent Henry To’oTo’o and free agent addition E.J. Speed for playin time during camp. In any combination, the second level of Houston’s defense will be counted on to remain strong in 2025. Harris playing a big role in that respect would set him up well in free agency.
The coming season represents the final one of his rookie contract. A productive campaign would boost Harris’ stock on a second Texans pact or one sending him to a new team, and he should be at full strength well in advance of Week 1.
2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team
This week started with a point on the NFL calendar that has been important for decades. Although teams have not needed to wait until June to make their most expensive cuts in many years, they do not see the funds from post-June 1 designations until that point.
With June 1 coming and going, a fourth of the league has seen the savings from post-June 1 releases arrive. That has affected the NFL’s cap-space hierarchy. Here is how every team stands (via OverTheCap) following June 2 changes:
- New England Patriots: $67.34MM
- San Francisco 49ers: $53.49MM
- Detroit Lions: $40.12MM
- New York Jets: $39.8MM
- Las Vegas Raiders: $36.16MM
- Arizona Cardinals: $32.11MM
- Dallas Cowboys: $32.11MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers: $31.88MM
- Seattle Seahawks: $31.21MM
- Tennessee Titans: $30.16MM
- Green Bay Packers: $28.94MM
- Cincinnati Bengals: $27.08MM
- Los Angeles Chargers: $26.83MM
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $26.63MM
- Jacksonville Jaguars: $26.54MM
- Philadelphia Eagles: $25.79MM
- New Orleans Saints: $22.62MM
- Washington Commanders: $21.13MM
- Indianapolis Colts: $20.09MM
- Los Angeles Rams: $19.44MM
- Baltimore Ravens: $18.95MM
- Carolina Panthers: $18.69MM
- Minnesota Vikings: $18.49MM
- Cleveland Browns: $18.2MM
- Houston Texans: $16.3MM
- Denver Broncos: $16.23MM
- Chicago Bears: $14.76MM
- Miami Dolphins: $13.81MM
- Kansas City Chiefs: $10.75MM
- Atlanta Falcons: $5.02MM
- New York Giants: $3.82MM
- Buffalo Bills: $1.69MM
The Jets saw their situation change the most from post-June 1 designations, as $13.5MM became available to the team after its Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Mosley cuts. Teams have up to two post-June 1 designations at their disposals. Five clubs — the Jets, Browns, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers — used both slots. Only three other teams made a post-June 1 cut before that seminal date. The eight that made these moves will have dead money split between 2025 and 2026.
Baltimore used the cost-defraying option to release Marcus Williams and Justin Tucker, while Cleveland — in Year 4 of the regrettable Deshaun Watson partnership — used it to move on from Juan Thornhill and Dalvin Tomlinson. As the Eagles’ option bonus-heavy payroll included two hefty bonus numbers for Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the reigning Super Bowl champions released both 30-something cornerbacks. Together, Slay and Bradberry will count more than $20MM on Philadelphia’s 2026 cap sheet. As for this year, though, the Browns, Eagles, Ravens and 49ers respectively saved $9.85MM, $9.4MM, $6.3MM, $6.4MM and $5.6MM, according to Spotrac.
The Jaguars made a mid-offseason decision to release Gabe Davis, doing so not long after trading up to draft Travis Hunter — with the plan to primarily play him at wide receiver — at No. 2 overall. Off-field issues, coupled with a down 2024 season, made Tucker expendable — after the Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in Round 6. The Vikings moved off Garrett Bradbury‘s contract and will replace him with free agency addition Ryan Kelly, while Mason lasted two seasons paired with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal. The 49ers made it known early they were moving on from Javon Hargrave, while 2024 trade addition Maliek Collins also exited the team’s D-tackle room.
Derek Carr‘s retirement being processed Tuesday also changed the Saints’ funding. The team will spread the dead money ($50.13MM) across two years. Even with the number being reduced this year, the Saints will be hit with the second-highest single-player dead money hit (behind only the Broncos’ Russell Wilson separation) in NFL history as a result of the Carr exit. The Saints will only be responsible for $19.21MM of that total in 2025. As they did with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox‘s retirements last year, the Eagles will also process Brandon Graham‘s hit this way.
Eight of this year’s post-June 1 releases remain in free agency. The Patriots added Bradbury to replace the now-retired David Andrews, while the Vikings scooped up Hargrave. As the Steelers await Rodgers’ decision, they added two other post-June 1 releases in Slay and Thornhill. Tomlinson joined the Cardinals not long after his Browns release.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/2/25
Today’s minor moves, including a handful of recent retirements that were made official:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: S Josh Thompson
- Waived: CB Benny Sapp
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on reserve-retired list: DT Michael Pierce (story)
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Divaad Wilson
- Waived/injured: CB Gavin Holmes
Green Bay Packers
- Waived/injured: WR Jadon Janke
- Waived from IR: DL Jeremiah Martin
Houston Texans
- Placed on reserve-retired list: CB Ronald Darby (story)
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on reserve-retired list: OT Terron Armstead (story)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: OL Marcus Tate
- Placed on reserve-retired list: DE Brandon Graham (story)
Texans CB Ronald Darby Retires
Another retirement decision has been made today. Cornerback Ronald Darby is the latest player who has elected to end his NFL career. 
Darby has informed the Texans he is hanging up his cleats, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. The 31-year-old signed with Houston in free agency this March. That one-year, $2.5MM pact set him up to offer an experienced presence in the team’s secondary; now though, that will no longer be the case.
The Texans have Derek Stingley Jr. in place for years to come after working out a $30MM-per-year extension with him this offseason. 2024 second-rounder Kamari Lassiter is also in the fold for 2025 and beyond, while Houston added Jaylin Smith in the third round of this year’s draft. That trio will be leaned on with Darby now no longer set to play a depth role this season.
A second-round pick in 2016, Darby handled full-time starting duties right away with the Bills. The Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up was traded to the Eagles after two seasons in Buffalo, and that move paved the way for a three-year Philadelphia stint. During that time, Darby battled injuries but operated as a starter when healthy. He was a member of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII-winning team from 2017.
Another season as a first-team cover man took place in 2020 in Washington. Darby continued to bounce around the NFL during the latter stages of his career, one which also sent him to Denver (2021-22), Baltimore (2023) and Jacksonville (2024). The Florida State product never landed a Pro Bowl invitation or received an All-Pro honor, but he operated as a key defender and posted double-digit pass deflections five times in his career.
In total, Darby played 124 combined regular and postseason games. Nearly all of those were starts, and he handled a defensive snap share of at least 74% for all but one of his 10 NFL campaigns. Darby will depart the league with roughly $42.5MM in career earnings.
AFC South Notes: WRs, Anderson, Sneed
Three receivers in the AFC South are facing big seasons for different reasons in 2025, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks and Texans wideout John Metchie all are looking to have impactful 2025 campaigns in order to improve their prospects for the future.
Ridley returns to Tennessee as the team’s leading receiver from 2024, but he’ll be in a much-improved receiving corps this season. He’s been joined by veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson and rookies Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Xavier Restrepo as targets for No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward. Volin argues that, with Ridley being 30 years old, the Titans may feel comfortable moving on from Ridley in favor of their several other options in the future. Even with a post-June 1 designation, cutting Ridley would not save them any cap space this year, but if Ridley can’t prove to be a worthy asset in 2025, his contract provides a potential out that could limit his dead money to $8.02MM and increase the team’s cap savings to $18.73 for 2026, should they cut him.
After Tennessee made the decision to decline Burks’ fifth-year option, it’s certain that the 25-year-old will be headed into the final year of his rookie contract. Through three seasons, Burks has struggled mightily with injuries, missing 24 of a possible 51 games. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that he may not make it through the offseason. With the lack of production, the influx of new talent, and only $2.66MM in cash owed to him this year, Burks could face long odds of making the roster in 2025.
Metchie, unfortunately, faces similar challenges. Metchie’s health issues stem, initially, from a surprising diagnosis of leukemia that halted his rookie season before it even began. In two years since returning to the team, though, Metchie has failed to make much of an impact, despite injuries to his teammates providing plenty of opportunities for him to do so. Like Burks, Metchie is now heading into the final year of his rookie contract and dealing with an influx of new talent like veteran Christian Kirk and Day 2 rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Metchie, a Day 2 pick himself, will need to tap into the potential that got him drafted that high in order to ensure his roster status for the 2025 NFL season.
Here are a couple other rumors from around the AFC South:
- Former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. is not yet eligible for an extension, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about it. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year told reporters recently that he “most definitely” wants to remain in Houston for the rest of his career. With 18.0 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and 41 quarterback hits through two seasons, one would imagine that the feeling is mutual. The Texans will have to wait until he completes his third season of NFL play, though, until they can extend their young pass rusher with the contract that he desires.
- Two days ago, we reported that Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was progressing well in his rehabilitation but noted that there wasn’t yet a timeline for his return. There doesn’t appear to have been any new information, but Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt told fans in a mailbag yesterday that “the plan is to have him ready to go for the fall.” So, it seems Sneed will continue his recovery work for the remainder of the summer with plans to be back, hopefully, in time for training camp.
Texans To Keep Aireontae Ersery At OT
The Texans are planning to keep second-round pick Aireontae Ersery at offensive tackle to begin his NFL career, though he may not earn a starting job right away.
“Really liked his tape in college at tackle,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans of his rookie offensive lineman (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). “He played left tackle, so we’ll start him out at tackle and see how he does there. My vision for him was always he can help us at tackle.”
The Texans believe that Ersery could be their next franchise left tackle after trading Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders this offseason. Cam Robinson is earning $12MM and will likely start this year, but his one-year deal indicates that the team doesn’t see him as a long-term option. Same goes for Trent Brown, who only has $550k of guaranteed money and will likely have to earn a roster spot as a swing tackle, not a starter.
Enter Ersery, who started 38 straight games at left tackle to end his career at Minnesota. His height and weight meet NFL standards for offensive tackles, but his 33.5-inch arms are shorter than the rest of his 6-foot-6, 331-pound frame suggest. Ersery’s performance at the Combine, including a 5.01-second 40-yard dash, showed that he has the athleticism to keep playing tackle in Houston.
“With Tae, we add a guy who brings that physicality, that mindset, that I really think helps offensive linemen be good at their job,” continued Ryans. “He’s done a great job at playing left tackle and still has room to grow and develop. I’m excited about adding him.”
Ideally, Ersery would spend his rookie season improving his technique and adjusting to NFL competition before taking over on the blind side in 2026. He could then pair with 2024 second-rounder Blake Fisher – who took over for Tytus Howard at right tackle last season after Houston’s Week 14 bye – in 2026 and beyond. Finding bookend tackles in the second round in consecutive years would be an excellent way to revamp C.J. Stroud‘s protection unit at an affordable price tag as he nears extension eligibility.
Could Ersery play guard? His offensive line coach at Minnesota, Brian Callahan (no relation to the Titans’ head coach) thinks so.
“I’m sure he could,” said Callahan (via Wilson) . “I think he’s a tackle, but I do think that he has the ability to play elsewhere. I feel like he could definitely play guard, for sure.”
Houston shored up their guard depth by trading for Ed Ingram and signing Laken Tomlinson this offseason. Howard started the final five games of the season at left guard, too, so Ersery would only flip inside in an emergency. He might be too tall to develop at guard in the long-term, though the Ravens converted Daniel Faalele, another behemoth former Minnesota OT, to right guard last summer.
The Texans will hope that their current guard depth is enough to get through the whole season without deploying Ersery on the interior, allowing him to focus on developing at left tackle with an eye on the future.
The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History
The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.
The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.
Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:
Arizona Cardinals
- Jordan Hicks; March 12, 2019: Four years, $34MM ($20MM guaranteed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Deion Jones; July 17, 2019: Four years, $54MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Roquan Smith; January 10, 2023: Five years, $100MM ($60MM guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- Matt Milano; March 12, 2023: Two years, $28.33MM ($27.15MM guaranteed)
Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees
Carolina Panthers
- Luke Kuechly; September 10, 2015: Five years, $61.8MM ($33.36MM guaranteed)
Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees
Chicago Bears
- Tremaine Edmunds; March 13, 2023: Four years, $72MM ($50MM guaranteed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Logan Wilson; August 4, 2023: Four years, $36MM ($10MM guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns
- Jamie Collins; January 23, 2017: Four years, $50MM ($26.4MM guaranteed)
Dallas Cowboys
- Jaylon Smith; August 20, 2019: Five years, $63.75MM ($35.41MM guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Brandon Marshall; June 14, 2016: Four years, $32MM ($20.1MM guaranteed)
Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee
Detroit Lions
- DeAndre Levy; August 5, 2015: Three years, $33.74MM ($24MM guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers
- De’Vondre Campbell; March 14, 2022: Five years, $50MM ($15MM guaranteed)
Houston Texans
- Benardrick McKinney; June 14, 2018: Five years, $50MM ($22.16MM guaranteed)
Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees
Indianapolis Colts
- Shaquille Leonard; August 8, 2021: Five years, $98.5MM ($52.5MM guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Foye Oluokun; March 14, 2022: Three years, $45MM ($28MM guaranteed)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Nick Bolton; March 9, 2025: Three years, $45MM ($30MM guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Cory Littleton; March 17, 2020: Three years, $35.25MM ($22MM guaranteed)
Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Donald Butler; February 28, 2014: Seven years, $51.8MM ($11.15MM guaranteed)
Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal
Los Angeles Rams
- James Laurinaitis; September 8, 2012: Five years, $41.5MM ($23.62MM guaranteed)
Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee
Miami Dolphins
- Jerome Baker; June 13, 2021: Three years, $37.5MM ($28.41MM guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Anthony Barr; March 12, 2019: Five years, $67.5MM ($33MM guaranteed)
New England Patriots
- Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)
Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money
New Orleans Saints
- Demario Davis; September 13, 2020: Three years, $27MM ($18.35MM guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Bobby Okereke; March 13, 2023: Four years, $40MM ($21.8MM guaranteed)
Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee
New York Jets
- C.J. Mosley; March 12, 2019: Five years, $85MM ($51MM guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Zack Baun; March 5, 2025: Three years, $51MM ($34MM guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Patrick Queen; March 12, 2024: Three years, $41MM ($20.51MM guaranteed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Fred Warner; May 19, 2025: Three years, $63MM ($56MM guaranteed)
Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Bobby Wagner; July 26, 2019: Three years, $54MM ($40.25MM guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Lavonte David; August 9, 2015: Five years, $50.25MM ($25.56MM guaranteed)
Tennessee Titans
- Cody Barton; March 10, 2025: Three years, $21MM ($13.33MM guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- London Fletcher; March 3, 2007: Five years, $25MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)
Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/25
Wednesday’s minor transactions from across the NFL:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB J.J. Russell
- Released: LB Milo Eifler
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Gregory Junior
- Waived: CB Kaleb Hayes
Houston Texans
- Released: G Jerome Carvin, DE Kingsley Jonathan
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Michael Barrett, DT Laki Tasi
- Waived: LB Wesley Steiner
Russell heads to Arizona after three seasons in Tampa Bay. So far, with his time in the league, Russell has improved upon his contributions as a player each season. In three years with the Bucs, Russell made four starts and logged 49 tackles.
Tasi arrives in Vegas via the league’s International Player Pathway program. The Australian native is a former rugby player of Samoan descent. The Raiders’ website lists him as a defensive lineman, but Tashan Reed of The Athletic noted that he was being utilized on offense today, as well.
Texans To Re-Sign CB Myles Bryant
Nick Caserio will stick with one of the players he helped identify back in his Patriots days. Myles Bryant, a former Pats UDFA, is re-signing with the Texans, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports.
Added on a one-year, $1.75MM deal in 2024, Bryant played in 11 Texans games last season. While the former New England contributor’s Houston workload paled in comparison to his usage in Foxborough, the Washington alum has held a key role at points during his five-year NFL run.
Obtained during Caserio’s final Patriots offseason (2020), Bryant played 75% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps in Bill Belichick‘s final slate (which produced a No. 7-ranked defense). Prior to that, he logged 55% (2021) and 61% (’22) usage rates under Belichick. The Pats turned to Bryant initially after a Jonathan Jones season-ending injury in 2021. New England, however, shifted Jones — its longtime slot corner — to more of an outside role to accommodate Bryant once the veteran returned to full strength. The Pats used both Jones and Bryant regularly over the next two seasons.
Signing with the Texans in late March last year, Bryant did not enjoy a comparable role under DeMeco Ryans. The Texans used the 5-foot-9 defender on just 10% of their defensive snaps last season. He also logged a career-high 121 special teams snaps. Bryant, 27, came to Houston after a 77-tackle season that featured seven TFLs. He will attempt to carve out a bigger role in 2025.
The Texans have a primary slot corner already, having shifted safety Jalen Pitre to that post last year. Pitre recently signed a three-year, $39MM extension that briefly (before Kyler Gordon‘s Bears payday) made him the NFL’s highest-paid pure slot CB. Bryant stands to compete for a job behind Pitre, who saw a pectoral injury end his 2024 season early.
This has proven to be a busy offseason for the Texans at corner. They also used a third-round pick on Jaylin Smith, a cornerback out of USC; that move came after Houston chose boundary starter/Derek Stingley Jr. sidekick Kamari Lassiter in last year’s second round. Prior to paying Pitre, Houston authorized a market-resetting three-year, $90MM extension for Stingley. Highlighting a commitment to the position, the Texans also took a flier on Ronald Darby this offseason.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/20/25
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Waived: WR Hal Presley
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR T.J. Luther
- Waived/injured: WR Moose Muhammad III
Houston Texans
- Signed: DB Keydrain Calligan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Waived: G Lecitus Smith
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Nate McCollum
- Waived: G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Moose Muhammad III was a notable UDFA signing by the Panthers considering his connection to the organization. The wide receiver’s father is Muhsin Muhammad, who is in the franchise’s Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the younger Muhammad suffered an undisclosed injury that cost him his roster spot, although he’ll likely pass through waivers and land on the team’s IR.