The Houston Texans are shuffling their roster this morning ahead of Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Aaron Wilson reports they are waiving DE Darrell Taylor Jr. to make room for S Jaylen Reed\u2019s activation from IR.<\/p>\n
\nPITTSBURGH \u2014 #Texans<\/a> are releasing veteran defensive end Darrell Taylor Jr today, per a league source. Needed a roster spot to activate rookie safety Jaylen Reed from IR designated for return @KPRC2<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
Reed, a rookie, appeared in seven games with one start for the Texans this season. His last game action was Nov. 30, which happened to be his first NFL start. He played 72 defensive snaps over his final two games before injury and was primarily a special teamer up to that point. In his 73 defensive snaps, he managed 14 total tackles, and a fumble recovery. The Texans won both games where he played a significant number of snaps.<\/p>\n
The Texans are fairly thin at safety behind Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre, so Reed will provide depth and perhaps a rotational option to keep the starters fresh. Reed was limited to start the week of practice on Thursday, but practiced fully on Friday and Saturday<\/a> to prove himself ready for this game.<\/p>\n
Taylor had only appeared in four games for the Texans and logged 35 total defensive snaps over that time. With a deep stable of defensive ends including Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, and Derek Barnett all healthy, Taylor isn\u2019t a big loss for that defense.<\/p>\n
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