The AFC divisional round’s connections do not end with executive vice president and general manager Nick Caserio.
Nor do they end with a coaching staff featuring Nick Caley, Cole Popovich, Jerry Schuplinski and even Ben McDaniels. Not with the scouting, personnel and development likes of D.J. Debick, Steve Cargile, Shane Vereen and André Davis, either.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, 10 players in the fold for Sunday have been both Houston Texans and New England Patriots
during their careers.
Here’s a look through that list of past and present names ahead of the 3 p.m. ET kickoff.
HOUSTON
Jakob Johnson, fullback — Since heading to Houston in March, Johnson has made stops on the 53-man roster, injured reserve as well as the practice squad, where he currently resides. The veteran fullback’s campaign has included seven appearances, including two starts, and a blocked punt. He’s seen 86 snaps on offense and 44 snaps on special teams while in the AFC South. Stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants arrived in recent years for the 31-year-old Tennessee Vols alum and native of Stuttgart, Germany. Prior to then, Johnson had been assigned to Foxborough as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway in 2019. The stay began on the practice squad after clearing waivers as a rookie. But 37 games followed, with Johnson catching 13 passes for 83 yards and one touchdown.
Braxton Berrios, wide receiver — Taken by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft at No. 210 overall, Berrios spent the Super Bowl LIII campaign on injured reserve. The University of Miami product was then claimed off waivers by the New York Jets in 2019. He went on to appear in 65 games during his time in the Meadowlands, totaling 1,085 receiving yards, 160 rushing yards, 2,434 return yards and 11 all-purpose touchdowns. A completed pass was also among them. After being released in 2023, the former first-team All-Pro returner stayed in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins and suffered a torn ACL last season. Berrios signed with Houston in March. The 30-year-old wideout has appeared in four games since then and was inactive for the wild card.
Trent Brown, offensive tackle — After suffering a torn patellar tendon with the Cincinnati Bengals last campaign, Brown agreed to terms with Houston on another one-year pact in March. The towering 32-year-old has since gone from the practice squad to the active roster, starting all seven appearances at right tackle during the regular season and another last Monday night. A Super Bowl LIII champion and onetime Pro Bowler, Brown’s run in the league has brought a pair of stints at Gillette Stadium. He initially landed there through a 2018 trade with the San Francisco 49ers. He returned through a 2021 trade with Las Vegas. The former transfer from Georgia Military College to the University of Florida was taken in the seventh round of the 2015 draft class at No. 244 overall. Counting playoffs, Brown has started 108 of his 115 games.
Sidy Sow, guard — Sow signed to the Texans’ practice squad in September and has twice served as a standard elevation dating back to then, logging nine snaps at right guard in his lone start. A native of Granby, Quebec, the 27-year-old arrived at Gillette Stadium in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft at No. 117 overall out of Eastern Michigan. He went on to start 14 of his 27 appearances along the Patriots’ offensive line, spending time at both guard spots, both tackle spots and as an eligible reporter at fullback and tight end. Following the preseason finale in August, Sow was among the initial wave of cuts made at Gillette Stadium en route to establishing the 53-man roster.
Jake Andrews, center — The Patriots made room for the 2025 rookie class last May by moving on from a group of 90-man roster holdovers. Andrews was one of them. The 26-year-old interior lineman spent all of the previous season on injured reserve after opening training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He was chosen by New England in the fourth round of the 2023 draft at No. 107 overall. And as a rookie, Andrews checked into 16 games, making his first NFL start at left guard. His stay included 70 downs on offense along with 50 downs on special teams. Much has changed since then. Claimed by Houston, the Troy alum started all 16 of his appearances at center in the regular season. Andrews then handled all 68 offensive snaps in his playoff debut.
Haggai Ndubuisi, defensive tackle — It’s fair to throw an asterisk here. Now on the Texans’ practice squad as an International Player Pathway exemption, Ndubuisi had been signed to the 53-man roster at Gillette Stadium on New Year’s Day in 2025. He arrived off the practice squad of the Washington Commanders, but ultimately departed the following day having been waived with the non-football illness designation. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, the 25-year-old defensive tackle went undrafted in 2022 and has also been a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos as well as the San Antonio Brahmas, formerly of the XFL and UFL.
Myles Bryant, cornerback — Landing in Foxborough as an undrafted free agent out of Washington in 2020, Bryant appeared in 55 games, including 17 starts, while with the Patriots. The versatile defensive back’s run included 200 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery to go with four interceptions and work as a punt returner. After being tendered at the right-of-first-refusal level as a restricted free agent, Bryant saw 74.8 percent of the snaps on defense and finished with a career-high 77 tackles in 2023. The 28-year-old has gone between the practice squad and active roster of the Texans since 2024, seeing action in 22 games in the regular season while starting three. Bryant played 14 snaps in the secondary and 11 snaps in the kicking game in the wild card.
Ameer Speed, cornerback — Back on Houston’s practice squad after spending the bulk of December on the 53-man roster, Speed finds himself on his fifth NFL stop. New England marked the first. Taken in the sixth round of the 2023 draft at No. 214 overall, the past national champion and graduate transfer from Georgia to Michigan State appeared in five games during his stay. He saw 10 snaps on defense and 73 snaps on special teams as a rookie before being awarded off waivers that fall to the Indianapolis Colts. The 26-year-old cornerback has also spent time with the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns.
NEW ENGLAND
Stefon Diggs, wide receiver — Diggs caught a team-high 85 passes for 1,013 yards to go with four touchdowns during his inaugural regular season as a Patriot. Originally entering the NFL in the fifth round of the 2015 draft at No. 146 overall, Maryland product spent five campaigns with the Minnesota Vikings before leading the league in receptions and receiving yards with the Buffalo Bills in 2020. That tenure in Orchard Park ended after four Pro Bowls and two All-Pros via a trade to the AFC South. And there, a streak of six consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards came to an end as a Texan. The 32-year-old was voted a team captain in 2024, but sustained a torn right ACL in October of his lone campaign with Houston, finishing with 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns across eight starts.
Alex Austin, cornerback — The Patriots opened Austin’s 21-day practice window in recent weeks after a wrist injury sent him to injured reserve in November. The 24-year-old cornerback has appeared in 26 games with the organization while starting six. He has notched 31 tackles and one interception through 589 snaps on defense and 220 snaps on special teams. Entering the league with the Bills in the seventh round of the 2023 class at No. 252 overall, Austin was claimed off waivers by the Texans after his rookie preseason. Two months later, after checking into three contests with Houston, the Oregon State product made his way to the 53-man roster at Gillette Stadium as a free agent.
