The Houston Texans hope to make a deeper run in the playoffs next season after being bounced out in the divisional round by the Kansas City Chiefs in a 23-14 loss. In an effort to improve the depth of the roster ahead of the NFL Draft, Houston agreed to reunite with a tight end in free agency.
Irv Smith Jr. is heading back to Houston on a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Smith’s deal is worth $1.125 million.
“Free-agent tight end Irv Smith Jr. is signing back with the Houston Texans on a one-year contract, per source.”
The 26-year-old tight end goes back to the Texans after playing for Houston in five games in 2024. Smith didn’t record any receiving stats last season and seems to be on the bottom of the depth chart behind Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan, and Cade Stover.
Before signing with the Texans in 2024, Smith began his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. After playing three seasons in Minnesota, Smith spent a one-year hiatus with the Cincinnati Bengals. Houston likely brought him back to the roster due to the fact that he’s already familiar with the system and provides solid depth behind a good tight end group.
With the 2025 NFL Draft around the corner, it’s not entirely clear what Houston plans to do with the No. 25 pick overall. The Texans did trade offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders this offseason, which means the front office may prioritize the offensive line early in the draft. Houston acquired a 2025 third-round pick, a 2025 seventh-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round pick in the Tunsil trade.
The Texans tied for the third-most sacks allowed last season (54) with the Seattle Seahawks. Trading Tunsil was a bold decision, as he’s one of the league’s best left tackles. Luckily for them, there should be plenty of offensive linemen to choose from around pick 25 for the front office to restructure the up-front protection for quarterback CJ Stroud.
