The Houston Texans got some welcome news on Thursday, with Jonathan M. Alexander reporting that a source has told the Houston Chronicle that rookie safety Jaylen Reed is expected to return to practice
after missing the last five games due to breaking a metal plate in his forearm during Houston’s week 13 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
Jaylen Reed, a sixth round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Penn State, had been thrust onto the field for the Buffalo Bills game in week 12 due to a cacophony of bad luck at the safety position. Starting safety M.J. Stewart suffered a torn ACL earlier in week 10, and the release of C.J. Gardner Johnson in week 3 caused Houston to reach deeper into their depth chart, giving Reed a chance to impress on a big stage. It was his first time playing on defense this season and he finished with 12 tackles and a crucial fumble recovery in the third quarter. The following week, Reed made his first start against the Colts, and actually made a pretty impressive tackle on the play when he broke the plate in his forearm.
During a press conference, head coach DeMeco Ryans initially expressed optimism that Reed would avoid injured reserve and return to the starting lineup, but Reed would be subsequently placed on IR soon afterwards. Reed’s position as safety was then filled by Myles Bryant and then K’Von Wallace to finish the season, who both had their good and bad moments in the backfield. With Jaylen Reed now expected to return from injury before Houston’s wildcard game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Texans will be getting another quality DB just in time for their biggest game of the season.
What do you think of this news? Will Jaylen Reed make a triumphant return to the starting lineup, or would you rather see Myles Bryant or K’Von Wallace get the nod? Let us know in the comments below!
GO TEXANS!!!
