At first glance, you wouldn't assume that the Houston Texans defense would be in need of any reinforcements. This unit, coached up by DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke, is among the league's best defenses by any metric you could find, but strangely, depite boasting one of the league's best secondaries, it's a group that has thinned significantly throughout the season.
Consider: CJ Gardner-Johnson's tenure with the Texans lasted as long as it takes to say, "Houston, we have a problem." MJ Stewart and Jaylin Smith are both on the IR, Jimmie Ward is still dealing with injury/legal troubles, and Jaylen Reed has already been ruled out for Sunday's game. Sure, this group still features Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock, a quartet that is capable of earning four Pro Bowl nods at season's end.
This could mean that the Texans will look for some relief as the season comes to a close, and that relief could come in the form of four-time All-Pro safety Justin Simmons.
Simmons hasn't played a single down in the 2025 season, last suiting up for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2024 campaign. But Simmons is only 32 years old, and his run from 2018 to 2023 was as impressive as that of any other safety in the NFL at that time. It wouldn't be out of the question to assume Simmons still has some good football left in him, and from the sounds of it, the Texans would be near the top of his list if he were to make a return to the field this season.
"That would be awesome," Simmons told Kay Adams when presented with the prospect of playing in Houston. "I think it would be game-changing to play for DeMeco [Ryans]. I've heard nothing but great things. That would be a dream to be able to go with Houston. Right now, there's not much talk, but that could change now that they're back in the mix and hoping to make a run, so we'll see."
In addition to being a strong contender in any Klay Thompson likealike competition, Simmons established himself as one of the league's premier free safety's, a player who could be moved around at a defensive coordinator's disposal like a Queen on the chessboard. With Matt Burke's unwillingness to treat Calen Bullock in the same manner, Simmons could theoretically be that piece who could be lined up all over the place for the Texans D.