HOUSTON — While the sting of a playoff loss lingers for players and fans, the Houston Texans’ personnel department has swiftly shifted focus to 2026. On January 20, the team announced a series of reserve/future signings, the first concrete steps in constructing next season’s roster.
These signings, confirmed by the team’s official communications, are for players who were not on an active NFL roster at the end of the 2025 season. They will join the Texans for offseason workouts, training camp, and compete for a spot on the 53-man roster or practice squad. The group emphasizes adding size and potential to key areas of need.
The New Additions:
- Eli Cox (C, 6-4): Provides interior offensive line depth and competition behind starting center Jarrett Patterson.
- Sidy Sow (G, 6-5): A massive guard who adds to the competition on the offensive line, a unit GM Nick Caserio explicitly stated needs to improve to better protect C.J. Stroud.
- Luke Lachey (TE, 6-6): A big-bodied tight end who will join a room looking for a consistent threat behind veteran Dalton Schultz, who is recovering from an injury sustained in the playoff loss.
- Leki Fotu (DT, 6-5, 317 lbs): A 27-year-old defensive tackle who brings significant size and run-stuffing potential to a defensive front that may see changes with Sheldon Rankins entering free agency.
- Darrell Taylor (DE, 6-4, 255 lbs): A re-signing after a brief release from the practice squad, the 28-year-old edge rusher provides depth behind Will Anderson Jr. and Jonathan Greenard.
- Kaevon Merriweather (S, 6-0) & Jaylen Reed (S, 6-0, 212 lbs): Two young safeties added to bolster the secondary. Reed is just 22 years old, representing a developmental prospect for a defensive backfield coached by the highly sought-after Dino Vasso.
- Josh Kelly (WR, 6-1): A wide receiver who will look to make an impression in a crowded but talented receiver room.
Additional Roster Mechanics:
These signings were accompanied by other subtle moves. The team claimed offensive lineman Jake Andrews off waivers from the New England Patriots, adding another piece to the O-line puzzle. They also re-signed safety Brandon Hill to the practice squad while releasing offensive tackle Jaylon Thomas from it.
‘It’s about creating competition at every spot,’ a team source noted. ‘These are the first building blocks. Some may stick, others may not, but it’s about evaluating talent and building depth from the bottom of the roster up.’
While the headlines will rightly focus on the massive contract extensions looming for stars like Anderson and Stroud, and the fate of big-name free agents, these under-the-radar moves are the lifeblood of roster construction. They fill out the 90-man offseason roster, provide camp bodies, and occasionally uncover a diamond in the rough who can contribute on Sundays. For the Texans, the work on the 2026 season has already begun in earnest.