OJ Howard had a whirlwind week. He was released by the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday as Buffalo reduced its roster to 53 players. Howard was reportedly close to joining the Bengals before the defending champions AFC added several more tight ends to their practice squad on Wednesday. Howard’s busy week culminated Thursday as he will sign with the Texans after visiting Houston earlier in the day, according Professional football network.
The 27-year-old Howard quickly caught the eye on the open market after being waived by Buffalo. The 19th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Howard caught 119 passes and 15 touchdowns during his five seasons with the Buccaneers. He averaged 14.6 yards per catch at Tampa while helping the Buccaneers win the franchise’s second Super Bowl title of 2020.
While a torn Achilles kept him from being an active participant in Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl run, Howard returned to appear in 17 games last season. He made nine starts while playing alongside compatriot Rob Gronkowski, who retired for the second time this past offseason.
Houston’s depth roster at tight end currently consists of Pharaoh Brown and Brevin Jordan. Last season, Brown caught 23 passes while Jordan caught 20 passes and three touchdowns with Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor playing at quarterback. Mills is entering his first full season as a starting quarterback for Houston after making 11 starts last season.
The Texans recently signed one of Howard’s former teammates in Tampa, wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who was not on the Buccaneers’ original 53-man roster. In addition to Johnson, Houston’s offense includes several new pieces, including rookies Kenyon Green, Dameon Pierce and Troy Hairston.
