Two key Houston Texans defenders returned to practice ahead of Saturday’s preseason showdown against the Carolina Panthers.
The Texans‘ pass rush added some juice as defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi and defensive end Derek Barnett were activated off the PUP list. The duo practiced in full Monday, which was the first time each had participated in team activities since OTAs in June.
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“Really encouraging to see Foley and Derek step back on the field today,” Ryans said Monday. “You kind of forget these guys played a lot of snaps for us. They played a lot of meaningful football, and they were impact players for us last year. So I’m excited to get them back out and see how they enhance our D-line even more.”
Barnett, who’s been a serviceable No. 3 defensive end over his two seasons with the franchise, inked a one-year deal to return to the roster and compete for more reps. His best game came against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, when a forced fumble led to a 28-yard scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter to seal a 34-10 victory.
Fatukasi, who also re-signed a one-year deal this offseason, started 11 games in his first season with the Texans in 2024 and was a key asset in the run defense for a top 10 unit. In games he played in, teams averaged 107.7 yards per game on the ground against the Texans’ defensive line. In games he missed, teams averaged 125.5 yards per contest.
It is unclear if either will play in the preseason showdown on Saturday, but having them back in the lineup is an added bonus to better the roster entering Week 1.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans gain back 2 key defenders ahead of joint practice with Panthers