Texans Activate OL David Quessenberry
In one of the more inspiring stories of the NFL season, the Texans have promoted offensive tackle and cancer survivor David Quessenberry from their practice squad to their active roster. In a series of other moves, Houston also promoted safety Ibraheim Campbell and defensive tackle Jarrod Clements while placing center Nick Martin, tight end MyCole Pruitt, and defensive tackle D.J. Reader on injured reserve.
Quessenberry, 27, spent more than three years on the Texans’ non-football injury list after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in June 2014. After an amazing battle that was recently well-documented by Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com, Quessenberry completed his treatment earlier this year. He’s spent the entirety of the 2017 campaign on Houston’s practice squad.
Although he has yet to appear in an NFL game, Quessenberry could potentially see action for the Texans during the final two games of the regular season. Houston currently has just two offensive tackles on its roster, and neither Kendall Lamm nor Breno Giacomini has been impressive. Theoretically, the Texans could give Quessenberry — a 2013 sixth-round pick out of San Jose State — a two-game audition to close the year.
Martin, meanwhile, will close his second NFL campaign after suffering a “serious” ankle injury, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. A second-round pick in 2016, Martin also missed his entire rookie season after breaking his ankle. This year, Martin played nearly 1,000 offensive snaps in the middle of the Texans’ line but graded as a bottom-10 center, per Pro Football Focus.
Texans Work Out S Calvin Pryor
The Texans worked out former Jets safety Calvin Pryor on Tuesday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). 
Nicknamed the “Louisville Slugger,” former Jets GM John Idzik believed that Pryor would bring some old school hard hits to the Jets secondary as a longtime starter. Unfortunately, the first-round pick was a bust in New York. This offseason, Gang Green gave up on him and traded him the Browns. His time in Cleveland was short-lived after he got into a pre-practice fight with teammate Ricardo Louis. Pryor hoped for a restart with the Jaguars, but he was released after spending much of the year on IR.
Pryor may never fulfill his potential, but he could be a good future/reserve candidate in Houston. In 2016, Pryor finished out with 62 tackles and six passes defended in 15 games, so he’s shown that he at least has the talent to be on someone’s 53-man roster.
Tom Savage May Be Done For 2017
- Tom Savage‘s scary injury in Week 14 did not immediately result in his removal from that Texans-49ers game, making it a seminal sequence in the NFL’s ongoing concussion crisis. And Bill O’Brien said Monday (per Mark Berman of Fox 26, on Twitter) the fourth-year quarterback may not play again this season. T.J. Yates started in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Jaguars. Savage stands to be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Texans’ Bill O’Brien: I Will Not Quit
Over the weekend, it was reported that Bill O’Brien and the Texans could be headed for a split. This may be the end of the line for the head coach and the organization, but it won’t come via O’Brien leaving the team. 
“I will never quit as the head coach of the Houston Texans,” O’Brien said Monday, one day after the Texans lost 45-7 to the Jaguars (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). “I’m not a quitter. I was raised in a family that believes in family, faith, education, never quitting.”
It has been said that GM Rick Smith has a rocky relationship with O’Brien, which could lead to a coaching shakeup after the season is through. The Texans would position themselves as one of the most desirable coaching vacancies in the league thanks to the presence of quarterback Deshaun Watson and a talented front seven led by J.J. Watt. O’Brien, meanwhile, would be a leading candidate for other positions. The Texans are 4-10, but O’Brien can hardly be held responsible for that record given the season-ending injuries to Watson, Watt, linebacker Whitney Mercilus, rookie running back Dont’a Foreman, and other key contributors.
O’Brien has one year left on his five-year deal.
Bill O'Brien, Texans Could Part Ways; Tom Savage Not Expected To Return In 2017
Earlier today, we learned that Marvin Lewis is planning to leave Cincinnati after 15 years as the Bengals’ head coach, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Texans and their head coach, Bill O’Brien, could also be headed for a split after the 2017 season. O’Brien has led Houston to three nine-win seasons and two playoff berths, and if rookie sensation Deshaun Watson had not suffered an ACL tear earlier this season, the team might be in playoff contention yet again. However, La Canfora says the relationship between O’Brien and GM Rick Smith has long been complicated, and sources close to the situation foresee a change sooner rather than later. Houston’s head coaching job is an attractive one, largely because of Watson, and O’Brien would be an attractive candidate for one of the multitude of coaching vacancies this offseason. If O’Brien does leave Houston, La Canfora names current defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel as a logical internal candidate to replace him.
- La Canfora writes that Texans QB Tom Savage remains in the concussion protocol and is unlikely to play again in 2o17. Houston is under fire for the way it handled Savage’s head injury last week, and Savage will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so it is best for all parties involved that Savage simply sit out the last three games of the year.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/15/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: DT T.Y. McGill
- Waived: OL Andrew Wylie
Houston Texans
- Signed: DT Jarrod Clements
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: S Jack Tocho
Texans Interested In Fadol Brown
- The Browns, Patriots, and Texans have all expressed interest in Raiders practice squad offensive lineman Fadol Brown, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who first reported Wednesday that numerous clubs were reaching out to Brown. “I don’t think I’m going to be here next week, to be honest,” Brown said. An undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss, Brown has spent the entirety of the 2017 campaign on Oakland’s practice squad. In a predraft profile, Lance Zierlein of NFL.comsaid Brown “sets a strong edge” in the run game but is a poor pass rusher due to “lazy” hands.
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/17
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Deji Olatoye
- Waived: CB C.J. Goodwin
Denver Broncos
- Promoted to active roster: S Dymonte Thomas
Houston Texans
- Promoted to active roster: QB Taylor Heinicke
- Waived: DT Jarrod Clements
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/13/17
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: WR Carlton Agudosi
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: S Robenson Therezie
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: OL Laurence Gibson, OL Ian Silberman
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: WR Colby Pearson
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Ibraheim Campbell
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Kolby Listenbee
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: CB Marcus Sayles
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: DE Joby Saint Fleur
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Jason Thompson
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: TE Jerome Cunningham
NFL Workout Updates: 12/12/17
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Carolina Panthers
- WRs Jordan Leslie; T Josh James; G Kaleb Johnson; DE Joby Saint Fleur; S Shamiel Gary (link)
Chicago Bears
- DE Tavaris Barnes; P Alex Knight (Twitter links)
Cincinnati Bengals
- WR Diontae Spencer; TE A.C. Leonard; CBs Jonathon Mincy, Loucheiz Purifoy; S Kenny Ladler (link)
Cleveland Browns
- WRs Kolby Listenbee, Paul Turner; G Ian Silberman (link)
Green Bay Packers
- LB Nigel Harris; DBs Donte Carey, Malik Golden, Stefan McClure, Zack Richardson (link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Houston Texans
- T Taylor Hart; CB Dexter McDougle; Ss Trey Caldwell, Ibraheim Campbell (link)
Indianapolis Colts
- QBs Tyler Ferguson, Joel Stave; WRs Corey Brown, Seantavius Jones, Justice Liggins, Kolby Listenbee, Daniel Williams; TE Joe Sommers (Twitter links)
Kansas City Chiefs
- T Storm Norton; G Blake Muir; LB Jayrone Elliott; S Kelcie McCray (Twitter links)
New York Jets
- QBs Mike Bercovici, Connor Shaw; WR DaVaris Daniels, Kolby Listenbee, Tevaun Smith; LBs Jeff Knox, Kacy Rodgers; CBs Jonathon Mincy, Garry Peters, Shaq Richardson; DBs Chris Ackie, Kenny Ladler, Jonathan Rose (all Twitter links)
San Francisco 49ers
- T Khalif Barnes (link)