HOUSTON – The Texans placed linebacker and special-teams standout Jake Hansen on injured reserve due to a chest injury, ending his season.
Hansen aggravated the injury against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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He finished the season with 19 tackles in 15 games. The former undrafted free agent has 84 career tackles, three tackles for losses, and two sacks in 56 games and four starts in four NFL seasons.
Hansen signed a one-year, $3 million maximum value contract through the 2026 season that includes a $750,000 signing bonus.
Hansen, 27, first joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Illinois as he reunited with Lovie Smith, his college head coach.
Hansen forged a spot on the 53-man roster as a rookie and has been with the AFC South franchise ever since. He re-signed with the Texans in March on a one-year, $2 million deal.
The deal includes a $1.625 million base salary in 2026 with $500,000 fully guaranteed, up to $225,000 in per game active roster bonuses, a $75,000 workout bonus with $1.625 million total guaranteed, including $400,000 total guaranteed from a March 14, 2025 deal for one year and $2.425 million.
The Texans promoted rookie cornerback Alijah Huzzie to the active roster from the practice squad.
A North Carolina standout who transferred from East Tennessee State, Huzzie is a 5-foot-10, 193-pounder who had two interceptions in a win over Pitt last season and returned two punts for 82 yards and a touchdown. At East Tennessee State, he had 179 tackles, 30 pass deflections and a dozen interceptions and was named a first-team All-American.
Huzzie represented a value addition for the future because he had fourth-round grades from multiple NFL teams, per sources. He was graded as one of the top five nickels in the draft by several teams and draft publications. He has positional versatility because can play inside and outside, return punts and cover kicks.
He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the East-West Shrine Bowl all-star game practice after a standout performance. Huzzie made a speedy recovery and was activated.
Huzzie originally signed a three-year, $2.675 million deal.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com .