After a run to the Divisional Round, the Houston Texans are looking to reach even greater heights in the second year of head coach DeMeco Ryans' tenure. As they eye another trip to the playoffs, the Texans brought back an old friend on the defensive side of the ball.
Houston has re-signed defensive end Jerry Hughes, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. The terms of his deal are not yet known.
Hughes will be returning for his third season with the Texans, having already appeared in 34 games – starting 18 of them – with the team. In that time, Hughes has racked up 67 tackles, 13 quarterback hits, 12 sacks and three forced fumbles. His 2024 campaign saw him rack up 32 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.
A year prior, Hughes came away with nine sacks, tied for 25th most in the NFL. He has racked up 70 total sacks over his 14-year NFL career to go alongside 479 tackles, 142 quarterback hits, 19 forced fumbles and even two interceptions.
Now officially back in Houston, Hughes will add depth to a defensive line led by Will Anderson Jr. Hughes will provide both defensive production and a strong leader on and off the gridiron. Playing with the team during their most recent playoff run, Hughes understands the Texans' vision.
Come training camp, Jerry Hughes will be getting re-acclimated to the defense and meeting some of his newer teammates. By Week 1, Houston is looking for him to be getting to the opposing quarterback as soon as possible.
DeMeco Ryans revitalizes Texans' defense
In 2022, the Texans ranked 30th in the NFL by allowing 379.5 yards per game. One year later, upon Ryans' arrival, the Texans ranked 14th in total defense by allowing 330.7 YPG.
The addition of Anderson certainly helped matters. Appearing in 15 games, Anderson was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year after putting up 45 tackles – 10 for a loss – 22 quarterback hits and seven sacks.
Alongside Anderson, Houston is poised to have a few new faces on defense. Defensive end Danielle Hunter signed a two-year, $49 million contract in free agency. Fellow defensive lineman Denico Autry and Foley Fatukasi landed two and one-year deals respectively. The team also added Azeez Al-Shaair at linebacker and will see the return of players such as Christian Harris and Derek Stingley.
In terms of run defense, the defensive unit will have high expectations to live up to heading into their next campaign. Ryans' first year at the helm saw the Texans rank sixth in run defense, allowing 96.6 YPG. Houston's only hope is that their pass defense catches up.
While Jerry Hughes can't help in that regard, he is still a strong addition to Houston's already impressive defense. With already a year under his belt working with DeMeco Ryans, Hughes knows exactly how the team's defense is supposed to function. The Texans are ready to prove that their 2023 campaign isn't a fluke. Hughes is ready to help continue putting Houston on the map.
