The Houston Texans are signing free agent tight end O.J. Howard, ESPN reported Thursday.
The report comes on the same day the team re-signed running back Royce Freeman and wide receiver Chris Conley, amid a flurry of moves Thursday.
Howard was cut by the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, a surprise casualty on the day rosters had to be trimmed to 53. Howard signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal when he joined the Bills on March 16.
Howard visited the Cincinnati Bengals and reportedly was expected to sign with the defending AFC champs.
Howard will compete with second-year tight end Brevin Jordan for the starting nod in Houston. Jordan caught 20 passes and three touchdowns during his rookie season in 2021.
Howard was a first-round pick (19th overall) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017 after a breakout season with Alabama.
His impact on the Buccaneers was minimized by injuries, including a torn Achilles and high ankle sprain. He caught 14 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown last season.
In five NFL seasons and 59 total games (46 starts), Howard has 119 receptions for 1,737 yards and 15 touchdowns.
The Texans also re-signed defensive back Isaac Yiadom.
Freeman made the 53-man roster but then was released Wednesday to accommodate a waiver claim. Conley and Yiadom were both released Tuesday, the deadline to pare rosters down to 53.
Also Thursday, the Texans placed linebacker Christian Harris, tight end Teagan Quitoriano and defensive back Tavierre Thomas on injured reserve. The trio will need to miss at least the first four games of the season. Harris and Quitoriano are rookies.
Freeman, 26, played in seven games for the Texans last season, rushing for 92 yards and catching seven passes for 62 yards. He has 1,356 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 61 career games (eight starts) for the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers and Texans.
Conley, 29, caught 22 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games (10 starts) for the Texans in 2021. He has 15 career TDs in 100 games (62 starts) for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and Texans.
Yiadom, 26, appeared in 16 games (one start) for the Green Bay Packers in 2021. The Texans are his fourth team.
The Texans also signed fullback Paul Quessenberry to their practice squad. He was waived by the club Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
