HOUSTON – The Texans bolstered their secondary with a significant free agency move during the first day of the legal tampering period.
The Texans plan to sign former Philadelphia Eagles starting safety Reed Blankenship to a three-year, $24.75 million deal that includes $16.5 million guaranteed, per a league source.
Recommended Videos
Blankenship, a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles, joined an absolutely loaded Texans secondary headlined by All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.
The Texans have two Pro Bowl alternates who were added to the all-star activities in cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock.
Stingley, Lassiter, Bullock and hard-hitting nickel Jalen Pitre all intercepted four passes apiece last season.
Blankenship, 27, is a sizable, rangy safety at 6-foot-1, 203 pounds.A former undrafted free agent from Middle Tennessee State, Blankenship made an impact with the Eagles.
Blankenship, who has run the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds with a 33 1/2 inch vertical leap and benched 15 reps of 225 pounds, has started 50 of 56 career games played. He has intercepted nine passes, including four interceptions in 2024 when the Eagles won the Super Bowl.
He has defensed 23 passes with three fumble recoveries, 308 tackles, three for losses.
Last season, Blankenship allowed two touchdowns and he had 83 tackles and one fumble recovery with one interception.
The Texans had a revolving door at safety last season opposite Bullock.
After trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, he was insubordinate and refused to play within the scheme and was released.
Then, safety M.J. Stewart solidified the spot before tearing his quadriceps tendon. Stewart, back on a one-year, $3 million deal, was replaced by rookie Jaylen Reed.
Reed broke a metal plate in his forearm and was replaced by Myles Bryant. Bryant struggled and the Texans went back to Reed in the playoffs.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com