Last week, the Houston Texans wrapped up their OTA and mandatory minicamp practices. One of the more intriguing things to keep track of throughout the spring was which new receiving addition would emerge early. Houston added multiple options this offseason, including Christian Kirk, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Justin Watson.
Higgins and Kirk were the first receivers to gather reporters' attention with their performance in spring practices. With both players shining early, a guy like Watson will need a miracle to make the Texans roster in 2025.
Justin Watson Has a Slim Chance to Make the Texans Roster in 2025 Following OTAs and Minicamp
When free agency began this offseason, Houston signed Watson to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million. At the time, this move made sense for the Texans as they needed to add depth since Tank Dell will be out for the early part of the 2025 season. However, since then, Houston has used more capital, adding to their receiver room.
To acquire Kirk, they sent a seventh-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then, during the 2025 NFL Draft, the Texans used a second-round pick on Higgins and a third-round pick on Noel. On top of these additions, Houston also still has John Metchie III, a former second-round pick, and Xavier Hutchinson, a former sixth-round pick.
While the Texans certainly have more stock in Metchie, they likely also would rather keep Hutchinson over Watson. In seven NFL seasons, Watson has only surpassed 300 receiving yards once. In 2023 with the Kansas City Chiefs, Watson caught 27 passes on 53 targets for 460 yards and three touchdowns.
Though Hutchinson is yet to reach that level of production, it's not unthinkable that he could. Moreover, neither player is a prolific kick/punt returner, so going with the younger player is what most organizations would do.
As evident, the odds that Watson makes the Texans' 53-man roster in 2025 are low. The only real shot he has is if he puts together an impressive training camp and preseason.