DeAndre Hopkins Eyeing Texans Reunion?
The top storyline around the league remains DeAndre Hopkins‘ first career foray into free agency and where he will ultimately land. Another team has emerged as a potential destination. 
Hopkins is “interested in re-joining” the Texans, reports Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Houston selected the three-time All-Pro in 2013, and he spent the first seven seasons of his career there. His time with the team included five campaigns of more than 1,000 receiving yards, but ended with a controversial trade to the Cardinals in 2020.
The architect of that deal on the Texans’ side (Bill O’Brien) is no longer in Houston, though the same is also true of Hopkins’ close friend, quarterback Deshaun Watson. The latter is now in Cleveland, one of many teams which has been named as a potential Hopkins suitor. Wilson notes that a Cleveland deal for Hopkins is considered a “strong possibility,” something which likely distinguishes it from a hypothetical Texans reunion.
Houston has made a number of alterations to its WR room this offseason, including the signings of Robert Woods and Noah Brown from the Titans and Cowboys, respectively. The Texans also added a pair of wideouts (Nathaniel Dell and Xavier Hutchinson) during this year’s draft, and have 2022 second-rounder John Metchie set to debut in the NFL after a cancer diagnosis caused him to miss his entire rookie campaign. With Brandin Cooks having been traded earlier in the offseason, though, room for a veteran pass catcher certainly exists in Houston.
As is the case for many teams, finances represent an obstacle to any serious Hopkins pursuit on the Texans’ part. The rebuilding AFC South outfit currently has $16.8MM in cap space, but that figure will drop considerably once their top two draft picks from this year (quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.) sign their rookie contracts. If Hopkins holds firm on his reported desire to sign a contract similar in value to the $15MM Odell Beckham Jr. accord, plenty of maneuvering would be needed for Houston to make an aggressive push to re-acquire him.
The presence of O’Brien hasn’t stopped the Patriots from being linked to Hopkins now that he is a free agent. While a return to the franchise where the pair spent considerable time together appears to be on the radar, it will be interesting to see if it emerges as a serious possibility relative to the other contenders to sign the latter.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/30/23
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Released from IR (injury settlement): DT Taylor Stallworth (story)
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: WR Tyler Johnson
New York Jets
- Waived: OL Eric Smith
Washington Commanders
- Signed: S Terrell Burgess, TE Brandon Dillon
Johnson has bounced around a bit since his two-year Buccaneers stay. After a 360-yard receiving season in 2021, the former fifth-round pick has failed to catch on with the Texans or Raiders. Johnson played in two Houston games last year and, after signing a reserve/futures deal with the Raiders, received his Las Vegas walking papers earlier this month. In addition to the notable 2021 showing, Johnson has seven playoff receptions on his resume.
Stallworth re-signed with the Texans in February but ended up on IR — due to what his agent called a short-term injury — earlier this month. This settlement will allow Stallworth to heal up and attempt to play this season elsewhere. Stallworth played in seven games (six with the Chiefs, one with the Texans) last season but logged 32 as primarily a Colts backup from 2020-21. The veteran D-tackle is going into his age-28 season.
Each NFL Franchise’s Richest QB Contract
The quarterback market’s explosion represents one of the 2020s’ defining NFL developments. It took the market almost six years to climb from $20MM per year to $30MM per year at the position. From July 2020 to September 2024, the market surged from $35MM to $60MM per annum.
On that note, here is the richest quarterback contract — by total guaranteed money — each team has authorized. Only teams’ extensions or free agency agreements will qualify here, with traded contracts and draft pick accords excluded.
Arizona Cardinals
- Kyler Murray; July 21, 2022. Five years, $230.5MM ($159.8MMM guaranteed, $103.3MM fully guaranteed)
Atlanta Falcons
- Kirk Cousins; March 12, 2024. Four years, $180MM ($100MM guaranteed, $90MM fully guaranteed)
Baltimore Ravens
- Lamar Jackson; May 4, 2023. Five years, $260MM ($185MM guaranteed, $135MM fully guaranteed)
Buffalo Bills
- Josh Allen; March 9, 2025. Six years, $330MM ($250MM guaranteed, $147MM fully guaranteed)
Carolina Panthers
- Cam Newton; June 2, 2015. Five years, $103.8MM ($60MM guaranteed, $41MM fully guaranteed)
Chicago Bears
- Jay Cutler; January 2, 2014. Seven years, $126.7MM ($54MM guaranteed, $38MM fully guaranteed)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Joe Burrow; September 9, 2023. Five years, $275MM ($219MM guaranteed, $146.51MM fully guaranteed)
Cleveland Browns
- Deshaun Watson; March 18, 2022. Five years, $230MM fully guaranteed
Dallas Cowboys
- Dak Prescott; September 8, 2024. Four years, $240MM ($231MM guaranteed, $129MM fully guaranteed)
Denver Broncos
- Russell Wilson; September 1, 2022. Five years, $242.59MM ($161MM guaranteed, $124MM fully guaranteed)
Detroit Lions
- Jared Goff; May 13, 2024. Four years, $212MM (170.61MM guaranteed, $113.61MM fully guaranteed)
Green Bay Packers
- Jordan Love; July 26, 2024. Four years, $220MM ($160.3MM guaranteed, $100.8MM fully guaranteed)
Houston Texans
- Deshaun Watson; September 5, 2020. Four years, $156MM ($110.72MM guaranteed, $73.7MM fully guaranteed)
Indianapolis Colts
- Andrew Luck; June 29, 2016. Five years, $122.97MM ($87MM guaranteed, $44MM fully guaranteed)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Trevor Lawrence; June 14, 2024. Five years, $275MM ($200MM guaranteed, $142MM fully guaranteed)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Patrick Mahomes; July 6, 2020. Ten years, $450MM ($141MM guaranteed, $63.1MM fully guaranteed)
Las Vegas Raiders
- Derek Carr; June 23, 2017. Five years, $125MM ($70.2MM guaranteed, $40MM fully guaranteed)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Justin Herbert; July 25, 2023. Five years, $262.5MM ($193.74MM guaranteed, $133.74MM fully guaranteed)
Los Angeles Rams
- Matthew Stafford; March 19, 2022. Four years, $160MM ($130MM guaranteed, $63MM fully guaranteed)
Miami Dolphins
- Tua Tagovailoa; July 26, 2024. Four years, $212.4MM ($167.17MM guaranteed, $93.17MM fully guaranteed)
Minnesota Vikings
- Kirk Cousins; March 15, 2018. Three years, $84MM fully guaranteed
New England Patriots
- Tom Brady; February 25, 2013. Three years, $41MM ($33MM fully guaranteed)
New Orleans Saints
- Derek Carr; March 6, 2023. Four years, $150MM ($100MM guaranteed, $60MM fully guaranteed)
New York Giants
- Daniel Jones; March 7, 2023. Four years, $160MM ($92MM guaranteed, $81MM fully guaranteed)
New York Jets
- Justin Fields; March 10, 2025. Two years, $40MM ($30MM fully guaranteed)
Philadelphia Eagles
- Jalen Hurts; April 17, 2023. Five years, $255MM ($179.3MM guaranteed, $110MM fully guaranteed)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Ben Roethlisberger; April 24, 2019. Two years, $68MM ($37.5MM fully guaranteed)
San Francisco 49ers
- Brock Purdy; May 18, 2025. Five years, $265MM ($182.55MM guaranteed, $100MM fully guaranteed)
Seattle Seahawks
- Russell Wilson; April 16, 2019. Four years, $140MM ($107MM guaranteed, $70MM fully guaranteed)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Tom Brady, March 20, 2020. Two years, $50MM fully guaranteed
Tennessee Titans
- Ryan Tannehill; March 15, 2020. Four years, $118MM ($91MM guaranteed, $62MM fully guaranteed)
Washington Commanders
- Alex Smith; January 30, 2018. Four years, $94MM ($71MM guaranteed, $54MM fully guaranteed)
Texans Eyeing Tytus Howard Extension
Not many areas on the Texans’ roster can be classified as true strengths, but the rebuilding team has devoted significant resources to fortifying its offensive line. Houston has already doled out two extensions up front this offseason — to Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason. Another might be coming soon.
Earlier this year, Tytus Howard expressed interest in an offseason extension. The Texans are expected to make this a priority, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. It sounds like Howard has moved to the top of Houston’s extension queue, doing so despite arriving as a first-round pick during Brian Gaine‘s short GM tenure.
The Texans fired Gaine just after the 2019 draft, which featured Howard as the team’s top investment. Some inconsistency — in terms of performance level, availability and positional alignment — has ensued during Howard’s rookie contract, but Houston exercised the former No. 23 overall pick’s fully guaranteed fifth-year option in May 2022. Howard is tied to a $13.2MM salary this season. It should be expected an extension will cost more, in terms of average annual value.
Howard, who turned 27 last week, played a 17-game season for the first time as a pro. He worked almost exclusively at right tackle, after spending much of the 2021 season at guard and left tackle. That ’21 season assignment came largely due to Tunsil’s early-season injury. Last season, Tunsil and Howard stayed healthy. This did not exactly translate to success, with the Texans going 3-13-1, or quarterback progress. But the team has a new passer in place this year. It looks like the Texans plan to pair C.J. Stroud‘s rookie contract with two lucrative tackle accords.
For the second time, the Texans made Tunsil the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. The Pro Bowler is signed to a three-year, $75MM deal, which runs through 2026. Stroud’s rookie contract will span four years as well, with the fifth-year option making it possible for the deal to go through 2027. Either way, Stroud’s deal will make it possible for the Texans to devote more money to starters at other spots for the foreseeable future. Not long after the Tunsil re-up, the team moved further down this road by extending Mason, giving the guard trade acquisition a three-year, $36MM deal. This came after Houston chose center Juice Scruggs in the second round.
While both those contracts cover Stroud’s rookie-deal time, it should be expected a Howard pact will tie the Alabama State alum to the team into the late 2020s. Pro Football Focus rated Howard just outside the top 40 among tackles last season, marking a nice improvement for the Division I-FCS product. Howard could set himself up for a bigger payday by continuing this momentum in a contract year, but opting for a commitment ahead of that point makes sense as well.
Howard should not be expected to join Tunsil as a top-three highest-paid player at his position. The Chiefs moved the right tackle bar to $20MM per year, via their Jawaan Taylor agreement, and Lane Johnson subsequently topped it. Howard could take aim at the five-year, $87.5MM deal the Broncos handed 2018 first-rounder Mike McGlinchey. Though, the latter’s superior track record might make that difficult. Two other tackles — the Colts’ Braden Smith and Panthers’ Taylor Moton — are tied to deals in the $17MM-AAV ballpark.
Tunsil’s status as the league’s highest-paid lineman and Howard’s smaller sample size of promising work could complicate negotiations, but it looks fairly clear GM Nick Caserio will make an effort to have both the team’s tackles locked down soon.
Texans Working Out FA WR Preston Williams
Following the draft and free agency, the Texans have plenty of numbers at the wide receiver position. Still, it looks like they may be interested in adding a big, veteran body to the room after recently working out former Dolphins wide out Preston Williams, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. 
Williams is a former undrafted free agent who declared for the draft due to a stellar junior year at Colorado State after transferring from Tennessee. During his lone season in Fort Collins, Williams dominated the Mountain West Conference with 96 catches for 1,345 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
He signed with the Dolphins out of college and ended up not only making the 53-man roster but earning a starting role, as well. Williams started his first seven game before ultimately suffering a season-ending ACL tear in Week 8. He had 32 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns before going down with the injury. The 2020 season saw him follow the same pattern, starting seven of the first eight games before getting shut down with an injury for the second half of the season.
Injury troubles sporadically made him miss nine games the next season. After he failed to eclipse eight game appearances in any single season, the Dolphins waived Williams. He signed to the Panthers’ practice squad for the 2022 season but only made an appearance in the team’s season finale, appearing only in two offensive plays and seven special teams snaps. He was released by Carolina last week.
Williams provides elite size at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds but still has the athletic ability to field punts, something he did in Miami as a rookie. For Houston, he could provide another strong redzone target out wide other than Nico Collins or rookie Xavier Hutchinson. If he can earn his way to a roster spot this summer, the Texans will likely be focused on his health and ability to catch contested balls in the endzone.
Texans Not Shopping QB Davis Mills
Deshaun Watson‘s off-field turmoil led to the Texans effectively hitting pause. They did not make a major investment at quarterback in 2021, when Watson spent the year as a healthy scratch, or 2022. This left Davis Mills as the team’s primary starter. The team changed plans this year, leaving Mills in limbo.
Houston signed Case Keenum shortly after this year’s legal tampering period began and then, despite persistent rumors of preferring this class’ top defensive ends compared to the non-Bryce Young QB lot, chose C.J. Stroud second overall. Stroud and Keenum would seem to represent the 1-2 QB depth chart during DeMeco Ryans‘ first HC season, but Mills remains in the picture. For now, at least, the Texans intend to keep it that way.
[RELATED: Cal McNair Denies Influencing Stroud Selection]
Mills is believed to have generated trade interest, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, who adds the Texans are not eager to deal the former third-round pick. Mills took the first reps at Texans OTAs on Tuesday.
The Texans signed Tyrod Taylor to guide the 2021 team, which was hamstrung by its $39MM-per-year starting QB’s absence, but Mills took over and showed promise to close that season. He did not make much progress last season, with the Texans producing fewer wins. Mills has made 26 career starts; 15 of those came last season. The Stanford product led the league with 15 INTs, despite sitting behind Kyle Allen for two games. Mills’ 78.8 passer rating came in ahead of only Kenny Pickett and Zach Wilson among qualified QBs last year.
Mills, 24, would not seem to hold too much trade value at present. An injury elsewhere could change that, but Mills would profile as a backup option as he enters his third NFL season. Mills struggled despite the return of All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil in 2022, but the Texans still sported a suboptimal supporting cast around their quarterback. Mills piloted the 2021 team to two wins in his final five starts, including an upset of the Chargers that ended up keeping them out of the playoffs, and completed nearly 67% of his passes (6.4 yards per attempt) as a rookie. It is conceivable another team would see him as a capable QB2.
Keenum, 35, signed a two-year, $6.25MM deal ($4MM guaranteed) to return to Houston. Stroud’s four-year rookie deal will be fully guaranteed. Mills is due $1.1MM and $1.4MM base salaries in 2023 and ’24, respectively. It would seem Mills, who engineered the game-winning Week 18 drive that kept the Texans from securing the No. 1 overall pick, no longer fits in Houston. The Texans do not have a fourth QB on their offseason roster, leaving Mills as a regular part of OTAs ahead of what could soon be a move into the background.
Texans To Bring Back DE Jacob Martin
MAY 23: Martin’s deal has a maximum value of $3.5MM, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 (Twitter link). That falls well short of what he earned on his Jets pact, but it should allow him to earn a rotational role in his return to the Texans. Another consistent season could earn Martin a more lucrative contract next offseason, in Houston or elsewhere.
MAY 19: Not long after Jacob Martin‘s hometown team cut him, he will reunite with his longest-tenured NFL employer. The Texans intend to bring back Martin, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
This is a one-year agreement for the veteran pass rusher, who initially played in Houston from 2019-21. Martin, who has now been part of two trades, spent last season with the Jets and Broncos.
Sean Payton said a Martin reunion was not out of the picture for the Broncos, but once the franchise moved on (to create some cap space), outside interest emerged. Martin visited the Texans a day later, and while he is obviously familiar with the organization, the former Seahawks draftee will soon learn a new system under DeMeco Ryans — the fourth Houston HC in four years.
Like No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr., Martin will transition from standup outside linebacker to defensive end in Ryans’ 4-3 scheme. The Texans lost Obo Okoronkwo and Rasheem Green in free agency, seeing the edge rushers defect to the Browns and Bears, respectively, in free agency. Martin, 27, stands to supply some depth to the now-Anderson-led edge group.
The Texans initially obtained Martin in 2019’s Jadeveon Clowney trade. Martin represented one of the throw-in pieces in a Texans haul headlined by a third-round pick. Martin played a supporting role for Houston’s most recent playoff-qualifying team, in 2019, and moved into a full-time starting position by 2021. Martin’s production has remained steady regardless of role. In each season from 2018-21, he recorded between three and four sacks. In 2021, he tallied four sacks, six QB hits and a safety on a Kyler Murray rushing attempt. That effort enticed the Jets to give Martin a three-year, $13.5MM deal that included $6MM guaranteed.
Down Randy Gregory and having traded Bradley Chubb to the Dolphins on deadline day last year, the Broncos acquired Martin’s contract in a pick-swap trade with the Jets. But injury trouble slowed the Aurora, Colorado, native. Martin played in just five Broncos games before finishing the season on IR. Last season marks Martin’s first NFL instance of failing to reach three sacks; he finished with 2.5.
GM Nick Caserio has made a habit of bringing batches of middling veterans on one- or two-year deals each offseason. Martin joins Denzel Perryman, Cory Littleton, Chase Winovich, Hassan Ridgeway and ex-Jets teammate Sheldon Rankins as front-seven Houston free agency additions this spring. Winovich, Martin, Jerry Hughes and fourth-round pick Dylan Horton currently comprise the team’s Anderson support staff on the edge.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/22/23
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: LB Daelin Hayes
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Joel Wilson
Detroit Lions
- Signed: OT Max Pircher
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Emanuel Wilson
- Waived: K Parker White
Houston Texans
- Released: DB Darius Joiner
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: LB Toby Ndukwe
- Released: LB Tae Crowder, LB Emeke Egbule, RB Master Teague
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: CB Artie Burns
- Signed: NT LaTrell Bumphus
- Waived: LB Chris Garrett
Max Pircher will be joining the Lions via the league’s International Pathways Program. The team originally signed Austalian tight end Patrick Murtagh, who had to back out of his deal due to a medical issue, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Pircher played football in Austria and participated on Italy’s National Team before a stint on the Rams’ practice squad in 2021.
Tae Crowder became a popular name after he compiled 130 tackles in 17 starts for the Giants in 2021. He found himself sliding down the depth chart in 2022 before ultimately getting waived. He landed back on New York’s practice squad before being signed by the Steelers, where he didn’t get into a game while sitting on their active roster.
Jadeveon Clowney Interested In Reunion With Texans
A number of veteran edge rushers remain on the open market well into the offseason. One of them is Jadeveon Clowney, who, as expected, has not re-signed with the Browns this year. His next destination could still be a familiar one, however. 
In an interview with Mark Berman of Fox 26, the former No. 1 pick indicated that he would welcome a deal reuniting him with the Texans (video link). Clowney, 30, lives and trains in Houston, the city in which he spent the first five years of his career. It was also with the Texans that he earned each of his three Pro Bowl nods, though his production has never fully matched his expectations at any stop in his career.
Clowney followed his tenure in Houston with single campaigns in Seattle and Tennessee, then a two-year stint with the Browns. He proved to be a productive compliment to Myles Garrett in 2021 with nine sacks, but things took a markedly different turn last season. Clowney was limited to a pair of sacks and saw his snap share drop to 63% – the lowest mark in his career since his rookie campaign.
By the end of the season – during which the South Carolina alum had been benched for his public remarks regarding his playing time and usage in the team’s defense – it was obvious that Clowney’s future would not be in Cleveland. He was released in March, leaving him on the open market once again. That puts him among the likes of Frank Clark, Justin Houston and Leonard Floyd as pass rushers seeking a new opportunity.
Clowney expressed praise for new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, who comes to Houston with a reputation as one of the league’s top defensive minds. The rebuilding team has made a few moves already along the edge, including trading up to the No. 3 pick in the draft to select Will Anderson Jr, along with the signing of Chase Winovich and a reunion with Jacob Martin. That could create an uncertain path to a starting role for Clowney, but his optimism for Houston’s future could produce conversations beyond the initial one his agent had with the organization earlier this offseason.
It remains to be seen, however, if Clowney’s desire for a return is matched by the Texans. No timeline is currently in place for a deal in Houston or elsewhere to come to fruition, but it would certainly be notable if the next phase of his career took place where it began.
Texans Release TE Eric Tomlinson
The Texans have been busy adding to their squad this week, and now the front office is starting to subtract. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), Houston has released Eric Tomlinson and placed defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth on injured reserve.
Despite going undrafted out of UTEP in 2015, Tomlinson has managed to put together an eight-year career. He had a three-year stint with the Jets between 2016 and 2018, seeing time in 36 games (29 starts). Since then, he’s bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Giants, Patriots, Raiders, Ravens, and Broncos. He started 12 of his 17 games for Denver last season, hauling in nine receptions while continuing to serve mostly as an extra blocker.
After having a brief stint in Houston to begin his career, Tomlinson rejoined the organization earlier this month. The team has since added Jordan Murray, perhaps costing the veteran his roster spot.
After appearing in 32 games for the Colts between 2020 and 2021, Stallworth got into seven games with the Chiefs and Texans last season. He inked a one-year extension with Houston back in February but has since suffered a hamstring injury.
Placing Stallworth on injured reserve would prevent him from taking the field for the Texans during the 2023 campaign. However, an injury settlement may be coming. Agent Brett Tessler stated (on Twitter) that reports of the IR move are erroneous and an “injury settlement on a short-term injury” is imminent. This move would allow Stallworth to join a new squad once he’s healthy enough to play.
It’s been a busy week for the Texans front office. Most notably, the team signed cornerback Shaquill Griffin and added defensive tackle Byron Cowart.