Source: Texans signing veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins to one-year, $7 million deal

HOUSTON – The Texans are reuniting with veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins on a one-year, $7 million contract, per a league source.

The deal isn’t finalized yet, per sources.

A former New Orleans Saints first-round draft pick from Louisville, Rankins played for the Texans two seasons ago under a one-year, $10.5 million contract.

The Texans negotiated with Rankins, 30, last year during free agency and made a substantial offer, but were ultimately outbid by a few million dollars by the Cincinnati Bengals as they reached a two-year, $26 million contract with the former Louisville standout.

Now, they’re getting back in business with Rankins.

The Texans’ simple restructure of linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair includes a $7.83 million signing bonus from his original $9 million base salary, lowering his base salary for 2025 to $1.17 million. His new salary-cap figure $5.259 million, down from an original $11.523million, added a 2029 voidable year for proration purposes, per a league source.

From last week: The Texans have interest in defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins

Rankins missed the final seven games of last season with a non-football illness and has made a full recovery, per sources. Rankins had 18 tackles and one sack in seven games played for Cincinnati. With the Texans, Rankins recorded a career-high six sacks in 15 starts as he finished with 37 tackles, eight for losses and 10 quarterback hits with one forced fumble. Rankins provided a strong locker room presence and was a mentor to younger players, including Anderson. Rankins has played in the NFL for nine seasons, recording 246 career tackles, 30 1/2 sacks, 44 tackles for losses and 69 quarterback hits.

“We’ll look to add more defensive linemen, free agency or draft,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said at the NFL scouting combine. “I don’t have one set answer on how we’ll do that. I went to the Senior Bowl. There’s a lot of talented guys.”

The Texans are the defending AFC South champions and are coming off another season where they lost in the AFC divisional round. The Texans are 0-6 in that stage of the postseason in franchise history and are the only team in the AFC that has never reached the AFC championship game.

“We’re excited for the offseason, we’re happy with where we finished off the season,” Ryans said. “It was a successful season. Our guys did an outstanding job of persevering. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to end, but you never lose sight of what it took to get to that point. Now, all of our focus this offseason is how do we get to that next step as a team. You don’t just start over next season and automatically end up there.

“For me, I start back over. That’s why we’re here at the combine. With the draft and free agency, we want to add as many great football players to our team as possible. That’s what will allow us to be a great team. It’s not always so much about the coach .You’ve got to have some dudes, playmakers who can go make plays. Players are the guys who win games.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.