The Houston Texans will likely have a free spot on their 90-man roster after veteran cornerback Ronald Darby made a shocking decision about his football career.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday that Darby informed the Texans that he is retiring from the NFL. The 10-year veteran just signed a one-year, $2 million deal with Houston during the opening stages of free agency in March.
The veteran cornerback wasn’t going to start in Houston this season, but instead provide depth behind their talented group of young corners. However, Darby’s sudden retirement from the NFL opens the door for Houston to add someone else at cornerback.
Before he signed with the Texans, the 31-year-old defensive back spent the 2024 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the Jaguars, Darby recorded 46 combined tackles, nine pass deflections, and three tackles for loss in 13 games (12 starts). He also had a 68.9 completion percentage allowed on targets, a 120 pass rating allowed when targeted, and gave up four receiving touchdowns.
In addition to playing with the Jaguars, the veteran cornerback spent a year with the Baltimore Ravens (2023), two years with the Denver Broncos (2021-22), a season with the Washington Commanders (2020), and three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2017-19), where he won a Super Bowl in 2017.
Darby started his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, who drafted him in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Florida State. The veteran cornerback spent two years in Buffalo before they traded him to Philadelphia.
Darby found a way to stick in the NFL, despite bouncing around from team to team. He would’ve been a nice addition to the Texans’ cornerback room, but now head coach DeMeco Ryans and GM Nick Caserio need to sign a replacement. Luckily for the Texans, several veterans like Stephon Gilmore, Rasul Douglas, James Bradberry, and Mike Hilton are still available in free agency.