After a whirlwind week of moves, the Houston Texans have officially set their initial 53-man roster and practice squad for Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio had to make a few tough decisions at various positions, as Houston was loaded with depth. One of those positions was wide receiver, which had a lot of new faces.
The Texans cleared up a bit of the logjam at the position after trading former second-round pick John Metchie III to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, at the time, it left a question mark about who would be the sixth WR to make the squad.
The two candidates for the spot were veteran receivers Braxton Berrios and Justin Watson, who were both signed in the offseason. Watson received a two-year deal, while Berrios only got a one-year pact from Houston.
With Watson getting an extra year over Berrios, the belief was that the ex-Kansas City Chiefs wideout would be a lock for the 53-man roster. However, that wasn’t the case as Berrios brings the added element of a returner, giving him an edge over Watson.
New Texans WR Justin Watson Needs Strong Start to 2025 Season
That said, the Texans decided to keep both Watson and Berrios at the end of the preseason, which they hope pays off this season. Houston fans were surprised that the Texans kept Watson as the seventh wideout, as he didn’t play much in the preseason.
When he did play, Watson had two receptions for 25 yards, which came against the Carolina Panthers. He also got a look on punt returns in Houston’s preseason finale. Watson did not return any returns, but had a fair catch.
Heading into Week 1, Houston only has two tight ends on the 53-man roster, which isn’t ideal. But the Texans could use a practice squad elevation for the third TE spot.
Meanwhile, Watson likely won’t play often on offense, given the talent in front of him at receiver, which includes two rookies. Therefore, when he does get on the field, the veteran wideout must make the most of his opportunities.
If you look at Watson’s numbers in his final season with the Chiefs, he played a career-high in offensive snaps (686) and sprinkled in 66 special teams snaps. Despite Watson’s huge increase in snaps, he only had 22 receptions (32 targets) for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Texan fans likely want to see Watson at least hit that benchmark while making contributions on special teams. And if Watson can throw in a couple of clutch catches like he showed in Kansas City, that could help him get into the good graces of the fanbase.