Jalen Pitre might not be the Houston Texans‘ “Most Valuable Player” in terms of notoriety, but head coach DeMeco Ryans believes he’s someone who can be a game-changer not just for the secondary, but also for the front seven against the run.
“I call him the X-factor for our defense. He can do it all,” Ryans said of Pitre ahead of Houston’s Week 15 game against the Arizona Cardinals. “When it comes to stopping a run, most of the time you worry about a nickel or a defensive back being in a run fits. But we try to find ways to get Jalen in the run fits because he’s a physical player, because he’s smart. He understands run fits.”
Pitre, who inked a three-year extension this offseason ahead of free agency, blossomed into one of the league’s better nickel defenders last year en route to a second division title. It was a natural transition from safety since he played a similar STAR position during his time at Baylor under Dave Aranda.
A chest injury sidelined Pitre after Week 13 last season, thus factoring into Houston’s coverage. Without him, the Texans struggled to defend Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce in last year’s AFC Divisional Round loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
On Sunday, Pitre proved to be a vital safety net for the Texans’ defense, totaling eight tackles, a pass breakup and an interception. He also helped slow down Kelce, who finished with one catch for five yards and jarred a pass loose against Rashee Rice with perhaps the hit of the season.
“Throw him in passing coverage situations, he’s able to cover receivers, tight ends. He’s just an all-around player,” Ryans said. “You can’t coach him on some of the instincts and things that he’s able to do and some of the plays that he’s able to make.”
Over the past 11 games, Pitre’s racked up 55 tackles, three for loss, nine pass breakups and four interceptions as the Swiss-Army knife within the Texans’ secondary. He’s presented a case for being Houston’s most influential defensive back in 2025, but looking from an outside perspective, few could argue that he’s become one of the top slot defenders in the NFL.
“He’s just an explosive player, explosive athlete,” defensive coordinator Matt Burke said Thursday. “Obviously, sort of the mindset that he plays with contributes to some of that as well, an all-out, not afraid of contact, not afraid of some noise and of the smoke. So, combine all that, he turns into making some of those plays.”
Pitre and Houston’s top 10 defense will try to secure a third straight winning season under DeMeco Ryans against the Cardinals on Sunday at noon CT. The game will be televised on FOX.