Texans Showing Interest in Former Jets, Patriots DB

The Houston Texans hosted a workout for a handful of players on Tuesday, with the most notable of those names being a nine-year veteran in the secondary.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, the Texans hosted free agent defensive back Jalen Mills for a workout, along with defensive back Harrison Hand, tight end Tre' McKitty, and guard Carter O'Donnell.

#Texans worked out defensive back Harrison Hand, tight end Tre' McKitty, defensive back Jalen Mills, guard Carter O'Donnell
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 5, 2025

Its an intriguing cast of players brought into the building for the Texans as the team sits just days away from their preseason debut vs. the Minnesota Vikings. Houston had already reportedly agreed to a contract with free agent tight end Dalton Keene earlier on Tuesday, but they might not be done when it comes to making those roster tweaks.

Mills, who most recently played for the New York Jets, was a 7th-round pick at 233rd-overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, and has wound up playing in 115 total games across his career, starting in 91.

During his most recent campaign in New York, Mills posted 44 combined tackles, six passes defended and one interception across the nine games he appeared in, starting in eight of those.

Along with his time in New York, Mills has also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots. He spent his initial five years in the league with Phiadelphia as a starting safety in their back-end, also being a part of their 2018 Super Bowl victory over the Patriots. He would then find his way to Foxboro during the 2021 offseason, where he would spend three seasons in their secondary.

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA;New York Jets safety Jalen Mills (35) breaks up a pass intended for Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (3) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Fast forward to this offseason, Mills still remains unsigned, but the Texans could be a team worth watching to potentially bring him on. If he did ink a deal, he'd join an already talented safety group stationed in Houston, led by offseason acquisition C.J. Gardner-Johnson and 2024 standout Calen Bullock.

It remains to be seen whether Mills, or any of the other candidates will find their way to a deal on the Texans roster, but it appears that the Houston brass is at least keeping tabs on the possibility for a signing.

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