Jaylen? Jalen? Jaylin? Jaylon? Jayden? What are looking for? It’s on the Texans’ roster.
The Houston Texans have their C.J. Gardner-Johnson replacement.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Texans are signing veteran defensive back Jalen Mills to a one-year deal. Mills, who previously played for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, should compete for first-team reps with rookie Jaylen Reed starting this week against the Carolina Panthers in joint practices.
Gardner-Johnson, who suffered a leg injury during drills on the final day of practice at The Greenbrier, isn’t expected to be out long-term. According to multiple reports, there’s a chance he can return Week 1 when the Texans play the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.
Mills brings a veteran presence to the Texans’ secondary, having played nine seasons in the NFL. A former late-round pick out of LSU, Mills signed a four-year $24 million deal with the New England Patriots in 2021 after spending his four years in Philadelphia. Last season, Mills spent time with the New York Jets, which runs a similar defensive concept to the Texans under then-coach Robert Saleh.
Mills could actually make the active roster now given Jimmie Ward’s situation surrounding the legal proceedings. Earlier this week, the veteran safety was arrested for the second time in two months after he tested positive for alcohol, which violated his previous release order. He spent the night in jail and was released from custody on Friday.
Ward, who is currently on the PUP list was first arrested in June at his home in Magnolia, Texas, on a felony charge of assaulting a family/house member, impeding breath circulation. A woman called authorities and said Ward assaulted, strangled and threatened her.
Ward was released on a $30,000 bond bail and an emergency protective order was filed at the woman’s request. The NFL is currently reviewing under their personal conduct policy and will determine if a suspension is warrented.
Mills, 31, now joins the ever-growing “Jaylen/Jalen/Jaylin/Jaylon” roster theme. In the second, he’ll see reps with not just Reed, but also nickel defender Jalen Pitre and cornerback Jaylin Smith. On offense, the Texans feature wide receiver Jaylin Noel and offensive lineman Jaylon Thomas.
And if not’s confusing enough, there’s also a Jayden thrown in for good measure with Higgins, the team’s first pick out of Iowa State in last year’s draft.
For his career, Mills has totaled 59 passes defended, 8 interceptions and 450 tackles in over 100 appearances.