We're already seeing some surprising roster cuts by Houston Texans
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
27 August 2024
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
As the Houston Texans make some tough decisions to set their initial 53-man roster, we're already hearing reports about some big names that won't make the cut.
First and foremost is receiver Noah Brown. Brown signed a 1-year, $5 million contract with the team before the season. Which made many believe he would be safe to make the team.
But he had surgery to repair his labrum in the offseason and has yet to play this preseason for the team. He caught 33 passes for 567 yards and two touchdowns for Houston last season.
KPRC 2's Aaron Wilson is reporting that the team is also releasing WR Ben Skowronek, nickel corner Desmond King, and WR Quintez Cephus.
Sources: #Texans releasing Noah Brown, Ben Skowronek, Desmond King, Quintez Cephus @KPRC2 https://t.co/gompKckjxf
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2024
Skowronek was thought to have a decent chance to make the team, since the Texans traded a 7th round pick for him. But it appears the Texans receiver group was tough to crack.
Unless we hear otherwise, it appears CJ Stroud will be throwing to Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, John Metchie III, Robert Woods, and Xavier Hutchinson.
Often injured tight end Teagan Quitoriano has been let go as well, per Aaron Wilson.
Cornerback was a priority for the Texans in free agency. They added two former first round picks in Jeff Okudah and CJ Henderson. It's now being reported that Henderson will not make the team.
#Texans releasing C.J. Henderson, Troy Pride Jr. Dieter Eiselen, Jacob Phillips, Pheldarius Payne (waived-injured), McTelvin Agim, Tyrique Barnes, per sources @KPRC2 https://t.co/gompKckjxf
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2024
Other names of note
Backup QB Tim Boyle will also be released. Case Keenum's season is over, he's been placed on IR (foot). The team will go with two QBs on the roster in CJ Stroud and Davis Mills.
Sources: #Texans get down to 53-player limit as Case Keenum (regular injured reserve, foot), Kurt Hinish (calf, short-term IR), Pheldarius Payne waived-injured (hamstring), Brandon Hill (IR, knee), Jawhar Jordan (waived-injured, oblique, injury settlement) @KPRC2…
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 27, 2024
The running back position was one of the big talking points this preseason. Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Cam Akers, Dare Ogunbowale, and British Brooks all made the team. Brooks will see time at fullback.
Here's an update on injured LB Christian Harris (calf).
To clarify because I saw some confusion, #Texans placed LB Christian Harris and DT Kurt Hinish on short term IR. Both can return after 4 weeks.
QB Case Keenum and S Brandon Hill are on season-ending IR. https://t.co/DNRcNasWfy
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) August 27, 2024
We'll keep updating throughout the day as more cuts are reported. For a more detailed breakdown of cut day, be sure to follow Aaron Wilson's work at Click2Houston.com.
C.J. Stroud just about had to be scraped off the field inside Arrowhead Stadium by the time the Kansas City Chiefs had sacked him for the eighth time Saturday, the Houston quarterback's jersey stretched and torn and covered in grass and mud.
It pretty much summed up another trip to the divisional round of the playoffs for the Texans.
They rode a roller-coaster of brilliant performances and bitter flops into the postseason, but seemed to be gathering some momentum in the wild-card round, when they soundly beat the Chargers in a game many expected them to lose.
But that performance last weekend merely set up a showdown with the Chiefs, the two-time defending Super Bowl champions, who had beaten Houston just last month and never seems to lose at this point in the season.
And with Patrick Mahomes finding Travis Kelce wide open all day and Kansas City's pass rush making life miserable for Stroud, the Chiefs methodically pieced together a 23-14 victory to deny the Texans a spot in the AFC championship game yet again.
They've had six tries to get through the divisional round. They have failed all six times.
Two of them have been in Kansas City.
Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live to the game on YouTube.
And this one might have been every bit as bitter as the last, when the Texans blew a 24-0 lead in a 51-31 loss in January 2020 that would ultimately catapult Mahomes, Kelce and Chiefs coach Andy Reid to the first of their three Super Bowl titles.
Houston's Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 55-yard field goal attempt that would have tied it at 6 late in the first half, but instead gave the Chiefs a short field. Five plays later, Kareem Hunt powered into the end zone for a touchdown.
In the second half, after the Texans spent more than 10 minutes driving 81 yards for a touchdown that should have tied it, Fairbairn missed the PAT in the cold, swirling winds. It not only left the Chiefs clinging to a 13-12 lead but also seemed to sap all the energy and excitement that Stroud, running back Joe Mixon and the rest of the offense had built up.
Kansas City proceeded to drive 81 yards for a touchdown of its own to take a 20-12 lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Texans still had chances to drive for a tying TD. But the first opportunity ended with three straight incompletions by Stroud and one of George Karlaftis' three sacks on fourth down, and the second with back-to-back incompletions and a punt.
By the time the Chiefs added a late field goal, and conceded a safety in the closing seconds, the game was over.
The Texans can still look back on a second consecutive AFC South title and that win over the Chargers. But they still have never won consecutive playoff games in the same season, something that is sure to fester within coach DeMeco Ryans, who was part of the first team to win a playoff game for the franchise when it beat Cincinnati in January 2012.
It also won't sit well with Stroud, who has done just about everything except make it to the AFC championship game.
The 23-year-old starting quarterback — the youngest to face a defending Super Bowl champ in the playoffs — is only the sixth QB to win a playoff game in each of his first two seasons. And he's the first Texans quarterback to win two playoff games.
Yet there was nothing he could do against Kansas City and its ferocious pass rush Saturday.
There wasn't much the rest of the Texans could do against the Chiefs, either.