March 19, 2026, 4:13 p.m. CT
Reed Blankenship could have signed with any team this offseason and been a welcome addition. After winning earning the title of captain and serving as an anchor for the Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary on two different Super Bowl runs, any team could have targeted him as the next big name for their unit.
But something stood out about his meeting with the Houston Texans that led to a three-year deal being signed last week. Before the legal tampering period, teams are allowed to contact five players they would like to sign.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans used one of those calls to give Blankenship an inside look at the team, the vision for 2026 and his future role with the franchise.
When he hung up, Blankenship was sold on coming to Houston.
“I was with my wife and I’m like, ‘I really feel like Houston really wants me,'” Blankenship told reporters via Zoom on Wednesday afternoon. “That honestly felt like the first time in my whole NFL career that somebody really wanted me as a player and as a person to come and perform for them.”
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Blankenship, a former undrafted free agent-turned-captain, is expected to be the missing link for Houston’s defense and the long-term answer at safety. Last season, the plan was to start C.J. Garnder-Johnson after acquiring him from Philadelphia, but he only played three games before being released. After that, five different players filled the gap, leaving an empty space in the No. 1-ranked defense.
That void has been filled with Blankenship, who is expected to start opposite Pro Bowler Calen Bullock while joining a secondary that some would regard as the NFL’s finest. Last season, the quartet of Bullock, Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, and Jalen Pitre combined for 16 interceptions en route to a 12-win season. Three of them were named Pro Bowlers, while Stingley earned his second All-Pro nod.
The transition should come with ease since Blankenship’s impact was well-regarded in Philadelphia. Even in a down year for his standards, the 27-year-old totaled 83 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two tackles for loss and four pass deflections. Over four seasons with the Eagles, he picked off 10 passes and recorded over two dozen pass breakups.
“I feel like with me coming into this defense, I feel like I can give everybody a sense of calmness,” Blankenship said. “That’s part of my game. I want to be the communicator out there.
“I want everybody just to play free. Play free, have fun and at the end of the day, just go and hit dudes. That’s just part of defense. I’ve always been coached like an old-school type coach. I’ve been born and raised to go run and hit dudes for a living.”
The Texans own seven picks in the upcoming draft.