HOUSTON – Texans veteran nickel Desmond King will be active for a pivotal AFC South showdown Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, per a league source.
The Texans later made the move official as well as elevating wide receiver-kick returner Steven Sims Jr.
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They activated rookie center Juice Scruggs from designated for return and waived linebacker Garret Wallow.
Scruggs, a second-round draft pick and former projected starter, was designated for return and practiced for the first time this season Wednesday.
Scruggs pulled his hamstring against the New Orleans Saints in the final preseason game. He was a full participant in practice.
The Texans have been starting Michael Deiter at center, their fourth center since the start of training camp with, first, Scott Quessenberry placed on injured reserve with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, followed by Scruggs’ injury and then rookie Jarrett Patterson breaking his fibula and being placed on injured reserve.
Selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game, Scruggs was acquired after the Texans traded back into the second round to select him 62nd overall following a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles as they sent them their 65th, 188th and 230th overall selections to acquire Scruggs.
Officially named Frederick Henry, Scruggs got his nickname as a child who didn’t like to drink milk. Born in Ashtabula, Ohio before attending high school at Cathedral Prep in Erie, Pennsylvania, Scruggs emerged as a blue-chip recruit and state Lineman of the Year who chose the Nittany Lions over LSU, Ohio State and Michigan
Now, the Texans chose him to upgrade center position. Although Scruggs, a team captain and third-team All-Big Ten Conference selection has played guard, the Texans viewed him more as a center. The Texans drafted Scruggs after two centers were selected ahead of Scruggs with the New York Jets picking Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann and the New York Giants selected Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz.
Scruggs (6-foot-3, 310 pounds) has overcome significant difficulty in his life.
Scruggs was in a serious car accident in 2019, fracturing his L3 vertebrae and suffering a concussion. He was in a back brace for eight months and missed the entire season. He battled his way back and got back on the field against Maryland in 2020, nearly two years after the crash and appeared in seven games as a reserve. By 2021, Scruggs was a 13-game starter and an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection.
King rejoined the Texans on their practice squad this week after being released at the end of the preseason. He started 25 of 33 games for the Texans over the previous two seasons, recording 182 tackles and five interceptions,.
Now, King is back with the Texans after a three-game stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers with a second chance to establish himself again with a playoff contender.
The surprise of being released and rejoining the Texans is fading for King. The former Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers All-Pro selection is determined to contribute in whatever capacity the team has planned for him.
“I’m excited to be back, though.” King said Wednesday inside the Texans’ locker room. “That’s all that matters. Giving me a second chance here just to come back and be with the family, I missed these guys so much. Just to see them doing well, it’s good to be back in a good presence with them.
“I was pretty surprised. It wasn’t like an upset move. I was excited to see where I would end up. I was excited to go to Pittsburgh, be with a historic program got. Once I left there, I was wondering to see where I would be next. Once I got the call from Houston, I was actually excited to come back here and be with the family again.”
King, 28, was signed to a two-year, $7 million contract last year. He was once listed as first on the depth chart at nickel and also has punt return skills. He was due $3 million this season with $500,000 guaranteed before being released.
“With Desmond, we just wanted to add another veteran guy for our secondary,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Desmond with his flexibility, he’s played safety and corner. Just adding a guy with that flexibility and experience is good for us right now.”
It’s not about the money for King. It’s about the opportunity to be with his friends and an emerging football team.
“Yeah, even when I was away, I was still watching the guys and still rooting for them,” King said. “When I came back to play those guys, I was like, ‘I’m not letting y’all hit me. Do what you gonna do, you’re not hitting me.’ It’s good just to see them doing well and being a part of the family.”
King, who has 426 career tackles, 8 1/2 sacks, nine interceptions, seven fumble recoveries, 2,270 return yards and five touchdowns, spent his time away from the NFL with his daughter after being released by the Steelers in October
I just kind of got away from football a little bit,” King said. “I have a one-year-old daughter. Being a father, I had a chance to take her trick and treating. It was amazing. Just spend time with my daughter and working out and taking time for myself away from ball. It feels great to be back.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.