The Houston Texans went looking for another spark to boost their already ferocious pass rush, and they emerged with Xavier Thomas. Houston hosted Thomas earlier on Tuesday and moved quickly to sign him to their practice squad.
Among all of the position groups on the Texansâ roster, they have suffered the fewest lost games along their defensive line.
Nevertheless, the Texans chose to bolster one of their strengths.
Texans Add Former Cardinals OLB Xavier Thomas
GettyXavier Thomas #54 of the Arizona Cardinals sacks Cam Miller #5 of the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter of the NFL preseason 2025 game at State Farm Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
KPRC 2âs Aaron Wilson first reported that the Texans had Thomas in for a workout before announcing soon after in another post that the veteran defender had signed to Houstonâs practice squad.
âH-Town [rock out emoji] lets rock out!â Thomas posted on X on December 2. â#HTownMadeâ
Thomas was the No. 138 overall pick in the 2024 draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He appeared in 14 games as a rookie, recording 2.5 sacks.
However, his role diminished significantly this season. He played in four games for the Cardinals and has yet to record a stat in 2025. His playing time skewed more heavily toward special teams this season.
Thomas won a national championship as a freshman at Clemson in 2018.
Thomas joins a Texans defense that enters Week 14 having regained its dual No. 1 status. They rank tops overall and in scoring on that side of the ball.
The Texans rank sixth in sacks with 34 through 12 games. They can continue to move Will Anderson Jr. around the formation with more options available behind him and bookend Danielle Hunter on the roster.
That is, if the Texans see fit to get Thomas on the field during a game.
The Texans can elevate Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster three times. After that, they must sign him to their 53-man roster or find another option.
Xavier Thomas Disruptive Off Edge
GettyJalen Royals #11 of the Kansas City Chiefs makes a reception past linebacker Xavier Thomas #54 of the Arizona Cardinals.
Notably, the Cardinals selected Thomas right in the draft range that NFL.comâs Lance Zierlein projected before the cycle. The profile offers clues to how Thomas could fit with the Texans.
Zierlein wrote that Thomas âplays with good technique and unwavering energy.â
âThomas will get widened out at the point of attack or knocked out of his gap by power, but his first-step quickness gives him the ability to disrupt from the back side or when playing in the gaps. Thomas is a one-speed rusher who prefers to attack up and around the arc, â Zierlein wrote ahead of the draft in 2024.
âHe needs to add relevant counters to go with it. He has the effort and hand usage to keep getting better as a rusher and could find an NFL home as an eventual starter or designated pass rusher in a 3-4 defense.â
Bleacher Reportâs NFL Scouting department noted that Thomas was the No. 3 overall recruit of his high school class in 2018.
They added that his âpotential is evident on tape.â
âThomas is a good athlete who has some impressive quickness/suddenness as a pass-rusher to help build on his arsenal in the NFL if he becomes more consistent with his use of hands,â Bleacher Reportâs Scouting Department wrote in March 2024. âOffensive tackles often make the first significant contact and ride him past the quarterback.
âThomas can win with speed right now, and he has a solid rip move to win around the edge paired with decent bend to help corner at the top of the rush. Heâs also flashed cross-chop and inside spin moves that he might be able to flesh out in the NFL.â
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