Texans Signing Former Buccaneers Tight End OJ Howard, per Report

Houston is reportedly signing the former Tampa Bay and Buffalo tight end.

Free agent tight end OJ Howard has found a new home in the NFL.

The Texans are reportedly signing the former Buccaneers and Bills tight end, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Houston will be Howard’s third NFL team. His reported signing comes after Buffalo released him on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with the Bengals that did not turn into a deal. Following the meeting and Cincinnati’s addition of tight end Devin Asiasi to its roster, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Houston was in the running to sign Howard, stating that he was taking a physical at the team’s headquarters.

Howard joins a tight end group that includes Brevin Jordan and Pharaoh Brown. Prior to Howard’s stint in Buffalo, he spent five seasons in Tampa Bay. In his first two years with the franchise, Howard combined for 997 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. But  after the arrival of Rob Gronkowski as one of Tom Brady’s weapons, Howard saw limited action.

In 2020, Howard ruptured his Achilles in the Buccaneers’ win against the Chargers in Week 4 and was placed on the team’s injured reserve list. Last season, Howard played in 17 games but only recorded 135 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

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