Texans Add Impact Defender For Stretch Run Of Season

The Houston Texans found themselves in a tough spot with injuries hitting their roster hard. Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud has missed two games after suffering a head injury in Week 14 against the New York Jets. Joining him on the sidelines in Week 16 was safety Jimmie Ward.

Ward left Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns with a quad injury and has subsequently been placed on injured reserve. Finding a replacement for a key player this late in the season is not easy, but the Texans were able to do it.

On Monday, the Denver Broncos waived safety Kareem Jackson. Jackson had finished serving a four-game suspension and his roster exemption which allowed him to practice was coming to an end after he was not activated for the team’s Week 16 matchup with the New England Patriots.

The Broncos were hopeful that Jackson would clear waivers and they would be able to add him to the practice squad. That didn’t occur as the Texans claimed Jackson to help replace Ward in their lineup.

Jackson has had a rough season, getting suspended twice by the league and fined numerous times for violating the league’s unnecessary roughness rules. The Texans are hopeful that he can find a way to clean that up as they will need him in the secondary.

Houston is a franchise that Jackson knows well as they selected him in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He spent his first nine seasons as a professional with the Texans before joining the Broncos in 2019. Current head coach DeMeco Ryans was teammates with Jackson during his first two seasons in the NFL.

“I’m thrilled to be back with the Texans,” Jackson told KPRC-TV on Tuesday. “It’s all coming full circle, having spent a lot of time in Houston. I’m really excited and happy for DeMeco and all the success he’s having. Being a part of that organization, seeing DeMeco getting the job and all his success, just being happy for him.

“They’ve got a bunch of young talent there. I want to come in, be a piece of the puzzle and help these guys win the next two games and get to the playoffs.”

Jackson brings plenty of experience to the table, something the Texans will need to help offset the loss of Ward, who was ranked 33rd out of 95 qualified safeties in overall grade per PFF. Jackson was ranked 37th with Denver and should fill that void well.