The Houston Texans are preparing for their final preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Saturday, and it means the regular season is getting closer. Taking the next step after back-to-back AFC South titles begins with the season opener at the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 7, but it also means decisions need to be made on which players will be making that trip.
The Texans must cut their 90-man roster down to 53 players by Tuesday afternoon, and Saturday’s game with the Lions represents the final data point for those on the bubble. In the case of one disappointing pickup, his fate has already been sealed and will finally cause Houston to throw in the towel ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Texans TE Irv Smith Jr. Will Be Gone by Roster Cutdown Day
One of the first cuts the Texans should make before the roster deadline is tight end Irv Smith Jr. Smith joined the Texans after failing to make the Chiefs roster last summer and spent most of the year on the practice squad before he was promoted to the active roster in December.
While he appeared in five games, he played just 85 and 15 snaps on offense and special teams, respectively, before hitting the free agent market this spring. Without a single reception to his name, it would have been understandable if the Texans were done with Smith. But after a month without a job, Smith re-signed with the Texans back in April.
It’s hard to understand why the Texans decided to try Smith one more time. Dalton Schultz and Cade Stover occupied the first two spots on the depth chart entering camp, and the Texans traded for Harrison Bryant to be the third tight end. Houston also had Brevin Jordan on the roster before he suffered a season-ending knee injury during training camp, meaning Smith would have needed a miracle to make the team had Jordan stayed healthy.
This shouldn’t have been a surprise based on how his career has panned out. A second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, Smith battled injuries that held him to 91 catches for 858 yards and nine touchdowns over four seasons. He tried to get his career on track by signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023, but he caught just 18 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown before signing with the Chiefs in the spring of 2024.
Outside of the five games at the end of last season, Smith hasn’t shown anything to warrant a spot on an active roster. That should have him looking for a new job by this time next week, and the Texans moving forward without him.