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Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts against the Seattle Seahawks.
DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans are fortunate in that their season-long work adjusting their secondary prepared them for the roster moves they made on Saturday, specifically regarding their safety room, where Jalen Mills replaces Jaylen Reed for at least one week.
The Texans face the Kansas City Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 14.
Several questions remain about how the Texans’ secondary will handle Reed’s injury, where Mills addresses one for now, and health concerns elsewhere on the roster.
Texans Announce Jalen Mills Signed to Active Roster
GettyJalen Mills #35 of the New York Jets looks on after facing the Seattle Seahawks.
Mills, 31, was the headliner on a relatively busy day for Ryans and the Texans. A member of the practice squad since September, who originally signed with the Texans in August, Mills’ familiarity with their system likely made for a rather expedited decision.
Mills, who has $23 million in career earnings, per Over The Cap, originally signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract. He re-signed to the practice squad for less than $500,000.
Mills has played in three games this season, starting Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans.
He was out of elevations. So, the Texans’ only option to have Mills on the field for them in another game was signing him to their 53-man roster, where he is one of five players to start alongside Calen Bullock.
The Texans opened the season with 2025 offseason trade acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson starting, but they cut him after Week 3.
His initial replacement, M.J. Stewart, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 10.
Reed, a sixth-round selection (No. 187 overall) by the Texans in the 2024 draft, suffered his injury in Week 13 during his first NFL start. The Texans also announced that they were placing Reed on injured reserve with a forearm injury that required surgery.
However, Ryans suggested that it was not guaranteed that Reed would miss the rest of the season, though he did not establish any timeline.
Mills, a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, might be just a placeholder.
Texans Elevate CB & DT From Practice Squad
GettyAlijah Huzzie #28 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts against the Charlotte 49ers.
In addition to signing Mills in time for game day, the Texans also elevated cornerback Alijah Huzzie and defensive tackle Haggai Ndubuisi for the contest.
Huzzie, a 24-year-old rookie undrafted free agent, has been with the Texans since the spring, but he has yet to see the field during the regular season. That is notable as the Texans have shuffled their cornerback group this season, particularly with their depth.
However, starter Kamari Lassiter is questionable with a foot injury.
Lassiter is pushing to play, and he progressed from back-to-back days of non-participation in practice to log a limited session on Friday. Huzzie may be insurance for the game-time decision.
Ndubuisi gets the first chance to fill a depth role as the Texans shuffle their DTs in light of Tim Settle landing on IR with a foot injury of his own that also required surgery. Ndubuisi is in his first season with the Texans.
He signed via the NFL’s International Pathway Program.
Ndubuisi has had stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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