Jahleel Addae rising to the occasion in Houston Texans’ secondary
By Jair Lopez
Jahleel Addae is excelling in his role as the third safety in the Houston Texans rotation.
Safety Jahleel Addae has been an excellent fit in Houston Texans secondary for the early portion of the season. The Los Angeles Chargers waived Addae in the offseason after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2013.
He signed to play the role as the Texans’ third safety that Andre Hal left open when he retired in the offseason, and Addae has fit like a glove in Romeo Crennel’s defense. Although he isn’t the ball-hawking safety that Hal was, Addae has been a more than suitable replacement as a box safety the Texans have sorely needed.
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Addae’s breakout performance came in Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons in which he finished with 11 tackles. His 19 tackles through the first five games of the season have him ranked sixth on the team. Addae’s versatility has been a welcomed addition to the Texans as he has a role in the defense and on special teams.
Crennel has grown comfortable trusting in Addae to play with the defense and has utilized him to play alongside Justin Reid and Tashaun Gipson in nickel/dime packages. Addae held his own being matched up with tight ends in coverage and running backs out of the backfield against the Falcons.
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Dropping back in coverage to combat with bigger physical tight ends and athletic running backs isn’t ideal for Addae, but his ability to play disciplined football to bring down ball carriers has made his arrival an underrated addition for the Texans in the offseason.