The Houston Texans have officially declared their official 53-man roster for the 2026 season, and there have been a predictable amount of mixed reactions from around the fan base.
As always, there are big winners from roster cutdown day that now can breath a huge sigh of relief, while those on the losing end of the equation have to contend with the immediate fallout of just missing the mark.
Below are three from each category, along with some analysis on what the thinking might've been both before the cuts were made, and for the next steps of each respective player.
Winners of roster cutdown day
Jared Wayne, wide receiver
One of the biggest winners of yesterday's roster cutdown day was wide receiver Jared Wayne, who's recent momentum throughout training camp and the preseason helped carry him across the finish line in Houston. Of course, and ACL tear for the ascending Jayden Higgins and a lengthy recovery by Tank Dell helped further open the door, but Wayne himself became a reliable playmaker for the offense in a variety of ways.
Jake Andrews, center
Starter-turned-backup center Jake Andrews was another big winner from yesterday's cutdown festivities, as many around the fan base and in the local media believe that the former Patriots' time in Houston might've been coming to an end. This would be due to both the emergence of rookie interior protector Keylan Rutledge, and names like Jarrett Patterson, Evan Brown and Febechi Nwaiwu making large gains for the team. However, a trade of Patterson helped open the door for an Andrews return, as well as the potential that his previous knowledge of the offense provides the unit.
Collin Wright, cornerback
Arguably the biggest winner of the entire day for Houston was undrafted cornerback Collin Wright, who made the final 53-man roster in spite of a mild preseason debut against the Las Angeles Chargers and a presseason-ending soft tissue injury that limited him to only that outing. Apparently, Wright made enough of an impact in training camp and around the locker room to power him to being a final-five cornerback on the roster. It's a huge accomplishment for the former Stanford Cardinal, and a colossal vote of confidence from the coaching staff of his projected proficiency in the secondary.
Losers of roster cutdown day
The Lewis Bond Fan Club (and of course Lewis Bond himself)
The biggest heartbreak of the day came late into the roster cut announcements, when a fan-favorite in standout receiver Lewis Bond was officially cut by the coaching staff. The move was met with immediate skepticism and disappointment from the fan base, as many believed that a litany of contributing factors should've ended with Bond's immediate inclusion in the offense.
- Tank Dell's continued recovery from injury
- Jayden Higgins' torn ACL
- Bond's own excellence throughout training camp
- The cutting of Justin Watson, Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones
On the other hand, the move was symbolic of the firm direction of the offense, which has been a shift to physicality, length and the overall intention for a more impactful rushing attack. Along with fellow bubble-mate Jared Wayne making strides as a 6-foot-3 playmaker alongside Bond, the numbers and circumstances just proved to be too much for the slot receiver. Here's hoping that Bond clears waivers and returns back to Houston, because I believe that he has a legitimate of being a productive player at the NFL level in short order.
Naquan Jones, defensive tackle
Naquan Jones had been seen by many as being adjacent to a "lock" for making the roster, especially considering him already having experience in Ryans' defense (and being productive at that. Unfortunately, the return of Mario Edwards Jr. from free agency might've had something to do with Jones being edged out at the final hour. While it would be great for the former Charger to find his way back to Houston, it's likely that another team may take a flyer on him.
Jawhar Jordan, running back
Next to bond, running back Jawhar Jordan was the biggest cut on the offensive side of the football. This is due to his name being floated for weeks as being in the driver's seat for RB3 ahead of undrafted rusher Noah Whittington. However, that was not to be the case, as Jordan's name was announced as one of the final cuts right before the cutdown deadline of 5:00 p.m. CST (6:00 p.m. EST). It's a tough break for the former Louisville playmaker, as he owned Houston's sole 100-yard rushing game from last season (against the Arizona Cardinals).
I don't know if he has an appetite for being on the practice squad again after how hard he worked to play his way off of it last campaign, so there's a chance he may look elsewhere for a chance to hit the field more immediately.
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