Head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans are barreling toward the roster cutdown deadline. It is on August 30 this year, and it could be the end of the line for several noteworthy players like Brett Rypien, Jake Andrews, and Justin Watson.
Rypien is one of the newest Texans.
Watson is heading into his second season. However, Watson’s first season was marred by injuries, leaving him just as susceptible to a roster shake-up.
Texans Insider Predicts Multiple Surprise Roster Cuts
GettyNick Caserio and DeMeco Ryans have a tough task ahead of them.
In an article published on August 17, the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander went through the Texans’ roster and projected several noteworthy decisions for Ryans and general manager Nick Caserio.
Alexander listed last year’s starting center Jake Andrews, fellow offensive linemen Jarrett Patterson and Jarrett Kingston, and tight end Brevin Jordan as on the outs.
All of those players have started games for the Texans in the past.
Andrews only plays one position, and 2026 first-round pick Keylan Rutledge has taken his job. Patterson and Kingston would be victims of improved talent along the interior of the Texans’ offensive line.
Jordan is also facing the threat of the numbers game at tight end.
Still, Andrews possibly losing out to Rutledge and 2025 free-agent pickup Evan Brown–and that Patterson started five games in 2025–speaks volumes. However, Alexander had some other noteworthy cut ideas.
The Texans are also projected to cut former Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs Tremon Smith and Justin Watson.
Even first-year Texans like Rypien were not safe.
Fellow free agent signing Dominique Robinson and trade pickup Marte Mapu also received their walking papers in Alexander’s scenario. They joined recent draft pick Solomon Byrd and former UDFA Jared Wayne.
Texans’ Practice Squad Could Feature Prominent Names
GettyJake Andrews could be fighting for his spot on the Houston Texans’ roster this offseason.
Alexander put several of the cut players on the Texans’ hypothetical practice squad, which can include 16 players on standard contracts.
Rypien joined Andrews, Byrd, and Wayne in the projected practice squad. However, that still leaves several noteworthy names on the outside looking in. That also speaks volumes about the quality of depth at most positions on the Texans’ roster.
Robinson is a fitting example.
He was one of two defensive ends the Texans signed in free agency, joining Logan Hall, who is also expected to rotate inside at defensive tackle.
However, the Texans have since added former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney back into the fold, changing their needs and leaving Robinson potentially fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster this summer.
Texans Ranked Top 10 in Future Power Rankings
GettyDeMeco Ryans and the Texans are set up to contend for years to come.
Further to the point of the Texans’ depth under Ryans and Caserio, ESPN ranked their roster the eighth-best unit in the NFL in projected outlook over the next three years.
Defense remains their strength, where ESPN’s Benjamin Solak called it their “reason for hope.”
“The Texans were one of three elite defenses last season (along with Seattle and Denver), and almost the entire starting 11 were homegrown players under coach DeMeco Ryans,” Solak wrote in an article published on August 17.
Solak continued, “If you can set your watch to Ryans and GM Nick Caserio building a great defense, then the Texans can be a perennial team in the top 10 of these rankings.”
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