Texans release former top 10 draft pick amid roster cuts

The Texans have surprisingly moved on from former top 10 pick C.J. Henderson.

After a breakout 2023 campaign, the Houston Texans loaded up this offseason in an attempt to build off of all the success they achieved last year. The front office was busy working on finding a way to add talent to their roster, and that resulted in them taking a flier on cornerback C.J. Henderson in free agency back in March.

After being selected with the ninth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, Henderson struggled to find his fit with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which led to him getting traded to the Carolina Panthers less than two years after they picked him. Henderson was better for the Panthers, but still not great, which led to him signing with the Texans this offseason. However, his time with the team is surprisingly already up, as they decided to release him as part of their roster cuts.

Texans give up on C.J. Henderson project

Henderson's rough start to his NFL career has continued with this latest move, as he simply cannot find a home for himself. It's clear he has the talent to be a lockdown corner after his strong collegiate career at Florida, but for whatever reason, his play has not translated to the professional level, which has led to the Texans moving on from him.

There's a chance that Henderson could land with another team, but the fact that the Jaguars, Panthers, and Texans have all given up on him now isn't exactly a good sign. Even if that doesn't happen, he could be a practice squad candidate, as it would give him an opportunity to develop behind the scenes and figure out where he's going wrong. Now that he's on the open market again, it will be interesting to see what's next for Henderson, but it's clear this isn't what the Texans were hoping would happen when they signed him back in March.