The Patriots will be hosting the Texans in the AFC Divisional Round at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Before that, they have signed a former Texans talent.

National Insider for NFL Network, Ian Rapoport, reported on X that the New England Patriots have signed former Texans DE Darrell Taylor to their practice squad.

"The #Patriots are bringing in some pass-rush help, signing former #Texans DE Darrell Taylor to their practice squad with the strong possibility of elevating him for the playoffs. Taylor was waived by Houston this week."

Taylor signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent in March 2025. He played 4 games, a total of 35 snaps in the 2025 season, with 15 on run defense and 19 on pass rush. He recorded 1 solo tackle, 2 assists, and 3 combined tackles.

The former Texans DE dealt with an ankle injury later in the season and was placed on injured reserve in November 2025. He has had 88 solo tackles, 38 assists, 24.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery in his 5 NFL seasons for the Seahawks, Texans, and Bears.

Texan starters patched up before facing the Patriots

Before facing the Patriots, the Texans have listed seven starters on thier injury report. Nico Collins and Trent Brown did not practice, while Azeez Al-Shaair, Kamari Lassiter, Sheldon Rankins, and offensive linemen Tytus Howard (left guard) and Ed Ingram (right guard) were limited participants.

Out of all of these, Collins is going to hurt the Texans the most. He suffered his second concussion of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has had 71 catches for 1,117 yards and scored 7 touchdowns in 15 games this season.

If he misses the game, the Texans' passing attack will be left without their top target in a very crucial game. He'll still have two more chances in practice before being officially ruled out for the action. What do you think, will he make it?

Written by

Reyansh Dubey

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu