DeMeco Ryans Reveals Why Houston Texans Signed Kareem Jackson
The biggest Houston Texans story for Week 17 will be the anticipated return of quarterback C.J. Stroud in time for the biggest game of his young career. Next on the list may be the reuniting of Houston and former first-round pick, safety Kareem Jackson.
On Tuesday, the Texans claimed Jackson off of waivers after the Denver Broncos attempted to sneak him onto their practice squad. Instead, he’ll get a chance to perform in a playoff-like atmosphere.
Houston (8-7) is tied for first place in the AFC South and has two divisional games – against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 – to push themselves into a playoff spot. With safety Jimmie Ward placed on injured reserve and the secondary exposed in Week 16, Jackson provides a Band-Aid for head coach DeMeco Ryans.
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Ryans, who spent two seasons as Jackson’s teammate in 2010 and 2011, was happy to add a veteran of his caliber, no matter how little time he’ll have to get acclimated.
“This time of year, it’s hard to find a guy that has the type of experience that Kareem has and the playmaking ability that he has,” Ryans said.
Jackson has 51 tackles and two interceptions across eight games this season. That missed time, however, is the story of his season. Jackson was suspended twice – for two and four games, respectively – after unnecessary roughness infractions. He’s earned a reputation as a head-hunter of sorts, and the league’s disciplinary measures kicked in, resulting in lost games (and game checks) as well as additional fines.
That didn’t stop the Texans from finding a reinforcement in the secondary.
“No, it did not play a factor at all,” Ryans said. “I know Kareem has made a lot of plays in this league. All of us have things to clean up, technique-wise to clean up and make better decisions there, but that didn’t slow our decision down to bring him in.”
Jackson’s on-field impact could be felt immediately. Houston has been prone to explosive plays all season long and ranks below the league average in expected points added per dropback and success rate. Communication woes have resulted in costly coverage busts, leaving the Texans vulnerable to dropping otherwise winnable games.
Ryans hopes Jackson’s impact extends to the young secondary he’s joining. He advocated for Jackson’s character after the acquisition.
“He has valuable experience. He’s been in the league for a long time. He’s played a ton of different schemes, played with a ton of different players,” Ryans said. “Kareem is a really good player, but he’s also a really great teammate. I’ve been fortunate to be his teammate for two years. He’s a really great teammate and I know he cares a lot. He’ll do a great job of helping our young guys and teaching our young guys.”
The Texans are set to host Tennessee on Sunday in a game that could not make – but certainly break – their playoff chances. With the margins so thin, Jackson could move the needle just enough to let Houston into the dance.
