The Houston Texans are still shuffling their roster around in the wake of their âMonday Night Footballâ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, adding former Cleveland Browns tight end Brenden Bates to a depleted group.
It was an incongruous move for the Texans, who lost a veteran role player in three-time Super Bowl champion and wide receiver Justin Watson.
The Texans also officially announced a pair of practice squad moves.
Brenden Bates Joins Injury-Riddled Texans Roster
GettyBrenden Bates #82 of the Cleveland Browns runs a play during training camp.
Batesâ addition makes sense from a grand-scheme perspective, with the Texans losing four tight ends â Brevin Jordan, Cade Stover, Dalton Keene, and Irv Smith Jr. â to injuries that will keep them sidelined for various lengths of time, some for the entire season.
The Texans faced the Bucs with two full-time tight ends in Dalton Schultz and another former Brown in ex-fourth-round draft pick (2020) Harrison Bryant.
Schultz caught three of his four targets for 29 yards. Bryant failed to catch his lone target.
Bates, who turns 26 in October, was an undrafted free agent out of Kentucky in 2024, signing with the New York Jets before the Browns plucked him from their practice squad. He has played in seven career games but has only drawn the one look.
The Texans waived Keene with an injury settlement, while Jordan and Smith are both out for the season, leaving their roster reeling at the position.
Texans Place Former Chiefs WR Justin Watson on Injured Reserve
GettyJustin Watson #84 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watson, 29, is in his first season with the Texans after three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and, before that, four campaigns with the Buccaneers. He won two titles with KC and one with the Bucs.
Watson has a modest 3-30-0 line through two games and also plays on special teams.
Watsonâs is just another in a line of injuries for the Texans at the wide receiver position, where they are still without Tank Dell. He is recovering from a significant knee injury.
There is a silver lining for the Texans, though, with head coach DeMeco Ryans noting that he expects to get veterans Braxton Berrios and Christian Kirk back for Week 3. The Texans are hitting the road to take on their AFC South rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Berrios played in the preseason.
But neither he nor Kirk has logged a snap during the regular season as they dealt with hamstring injuries. Both should provide a boost for C.J. Stroud and the Texansâ offense.
Texans Make Jalen Mills Signing Official
GettyJalen Mills #35 of the New York Jets reacts against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Texans also finalized a decision that was initially reported on Tuesday, announcing in their release that they had also signed former Philadelphia Eagles safety and 2017 champ Jalen Mills to their practice squad.
Mills initially signed with the Texans in August, but has been bounced between the practice squad and free agency since.
He was not the Texansâ only practice squad addition, either.
The Texans also announced that they signed undrafted rookie free agent corner Ajani Carter, who also played receiver in addition to safety while in college at Utah State before converting to corner and then transferring to Houston.
Given the Texansâ secondary situation, Bates seemingly has a clearer path to playing time than Carter, or even Mills, when the Texans face the Jaguars in Week 3.
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