HOUSTON – When Jalen Pitre tore his pectoral while tackling Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tyler Boyd and caught the brunt of a collision with teammate Henry To’oTo’o, his absence created a void on the Texans’ defense.
Without Pitre’s hard-hitting style, it became easier for offenses to run the football. And his physical, rangy, instinctive impact in the passing game was felt as well.
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Now, the Stafford graduate is on the road to recovery.
Pitre had a successful surgery and is on track to participate in offseason activities as he continues to strengthen his chest and regain his flexibility and range of motion to prevent any future injuries.
“My recovery is going well,” Pitre told KPRC 2. “The training staff is doing an unbelievable job of keeping me on track and continuing to challenge me every day. I’m having a lot of fun in there with them and I’m in a good mental space as well. They’re doing a good job of keeping me there for sure.”
Back at his natural nickel position where the Stafford graduate excelled as the former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year from Baylor started every game before he got hurt. He recorded 65 tackles, six tackles for losses, one forced fumble, one interception and eight passes defensed in a dozen starts.
Watching the Texans win another AFC South division title and advance to the divisional round before ultimately losing to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs was difficult on Pitre. He was a fixture, though, at practices and games supporting his teammates.
“It’s always tough to watch because I obviously want to play, obviously want to be out there with my teammates,” Pitre said. “But that wasn’g God’s plan this year. So, I’m thankful for Him letting me play those 12 games. I’m thankful. I’m content with where I’m at from an individual standpoint.
“I continue to learn and I continue to get better as a player. I’m just going to continue to strive to do that. I play for the Houston Texans and I play with so many great players. I’m so thankful to be here. I’m looking forward to the future.”
When the Texans drafted Pitre in the second round, he was signed to a four-year, $8.954 million contract that included $6.323 million total guaranteed with a $3.692 million signing bonus. After completing three NFL seasons, Pitre remains under his original rookie deal. He’s now eligible to sign a contract extension, as is All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr.
Stingley didn’t hesitate when asked about his plans and hopes to sign a long-term contract extension.
“I want to be a Texan,” Pitre said. “I leave all of that paperwork and legal stuff to my agent and them. I know that they’ll figure it out. I’m thankful to be here, for sure.”
The Texans adapted to the loss of Pitre by shifting safety Jimmie Ward to nickel as his replacement. Then, Ward injured his foot and was placed on injured reserve. He underwent surgery, a successful procedure, and is on track for the offseason.
#Texans nickel Jalen Pitre @JalenPitre1 says recovery from torn pectoral is going great and he's looking forward to next season after success at new-old position this year @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/8Vf4t6BfWb
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 20, 2025
Without Pitre and Ward, the Texans eventually turned to Myles Bryant as the primary nickel. He had some solid games, but also allowed an 86-yard touchdown in a playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers to Ladd McConkey and had trouble keeping up with the Chiefs in the divisional round.
The Texans clearly missed Pitre’s presence.
“Jalen, he’s been a true impact player for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said when Pitre got injured. “Just being around the ball, just causing interceptions, forcing fumbles. He’s just been really active, very instinctive player for us. He’s been all over the field. And he’s made a lot of plays for us. And just miss his instincts, miss his playmaking ability, we’re going to miss that. So, we’ve got to pick it up and we’ve got to go. We’ve got to move forward. We’ve got to press forward.”
Now, Pitre is looking forward to next season as the Texans chase their goal of becoming the first team in franchise history to reach the AFC championship game. They’re the only team in the AFC that hasn’t reached that stage of the postseason and are now 0-6 in the divisional round.
“There’s definitely some good things that we did this year,” Pitre said. “Overall, I think as a defense we learned a lot about ourselves. We learned a lot about the other teams, what they’re trying to do against us. We’re going to continue to use all that knowledge to help us going forward. It’s definitely a lot of positives that came out of this year.
“I just learned that it’s all about the preparation, all about the things that you put into the week and that’s going to ultimately turn into production on Sunday. I just had a lot of fun with my teammates. I definitely appreciate those 12 games and even the games that I was out because I was still continue to learn and continue to get better.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
