The Houston Texans do not have an opponent to prepare for in Week 6, because they are on their bye. However, the Texans did shuffle their roster around a bit more during the additional downtime, reuniting with defensive tackle Marlon Davidson.
Houston enters their bye at 2-3, but they are coming off back-to-back wins, albeit over the 1-4 Tennessee Titans and 1-4 Baltimore Ravens.
Still, injuries led them back to Davidson.
Texans Bring DT Marlon Davidson Back After Injury
GettyMarlon Davidson #90 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after his pick six against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“#Texans signing veteran defensive tackle Marlon Davidson to practice squad, per a league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on October 6.
Davidson originally signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Texans this past offseason.
“He got hurt in the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings before being placed on injured reserve and was later removed from injured reserve with an injury settlement,” Wilson wrote in a follow-up article.
Davidson has 39 total tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 quarterback hits, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception, which he returned for a touchdown, in his career.
Davidson was a second-round pick, selected No. 47 overall in the 2020 draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He has played in 24 games with four starts, and has also spent time with the Titans and the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Marlon Davidson Returns After Folorunso Fatukasi Lands on Injured Reserve
GettyFolorunso Fatukasi made a big difference in the run game for the Houston Texans.
Davidson’s addition comes as the Texans lost veteran backup defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi to an injury. The Texans announced the decision on Fatukasi in a flurry of roster moves on October 4.
Fatukasi must miss at least four games, putting his earliest timeline for return at Week 9. Then, the Texans will host the Denver Broncos, who beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5.
Davidson beat out three others to earn his spot.
“Source: #Texans worked out Marlon Davidson, Marcus Harris, Joe Gaziano, Ben Stille,” Wilson reported in another post on X on October 6, before Houston’s front office ultimately decided on a reunion.
Harris is a rookie sixth-round pick of the Titans. Gaziano, who also spent time with the Falcons and Titans, and Stille are both veterans and former undrafted free agents.
For the Texans, Davidson presented the best option.
Marlon Davidson Turned Heads at NFL Combine
GettyMarlon Davidson #90 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after sacking quarterback Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Davidson’s predraft profile details the kind of unassuming versatility he offers, but the Texans’ lineman’s mindset at the scouting combine drew attention as much as his on-field showings before and during the 2020 predraft process.
“The thing … I love most about the game is that I can literally go out there, and hit a man consistently, and pound him, and the police won’t come,” Davidson told reporters in February 2020. “That is the most enjoyable moment about ball, is to go out there and just really abuse somebody, and they won’t say nothing about it in the press. Anything. I ain’t on no headlines, in handcuffs, no mugshots, no nothing. I’m out here just physically abusing a man.”
“Four-year starter who posted elevated production against the run and pass as a senior. Davidson has been durable and his play consistent, but he fails to really stand out in the shadow of teammate Derrick Brown,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in 2020. “The team who drafts him will need to determine how best to utilize him because despite his build, he’s most effective when playing outside the tackle. He’s athletic enough to work as a base 4-3 end with sub-rush talent, but getting over the hump from good backup to starter might take time.
The Texans do not need Davidson to start, with Sheldon Rankins and Tim Settle in place, and Mario Edwards behind them. Still, unlocking his potential could prove to be a boon.
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