Texans RB Jawhar Jordan Reflects on Breakout Game vs. Cardinals

Within the Houston Texans' 40-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15, the offense saw an unexpected breakout from 2024 sixth-round pick Jawhar Jordan in his first-ever NFL game to help command the backfield while Woody Marks was sidelined with an ankle injury.

In all, he led the Texans' backfield with 15 carries for 101 total yards— Houston's first 100-yard rusher of the season— and had two catches for 17 yards in the process.

A major statement game for the Texans' second-year runner in a long-awaited opportunity, and one that he's certainly not taking for granted.

"It's a blessing, man, just to be able to come out here with an opportunity and just prove to my teammates that I can be reliable," Jordan said after the game, via Will Kunkel."Just playing the game of football. That's what I do. Just going out there, knowing that it's just football, and I trust my teammates... Everything else will fall into place."

"It's a blessing. I think it's a start. I'm glad we got the dub, and we just build from here."

Jawhar Jordan Breaks Out for Texans vs. Cardinals

Marks, after starting the game hot with a touchdown and 30 yards on the ground, had his day cut short in the first half after suffering a minor ankle injury. Head coach DeMeco Ryans said post-game that Marks could've returned if necessary, but had faith in the duo of Jordan and veteran Dare Ogunbowale to close things out.

Clearly, that faith panned out in the Texans’ favor, allowing Jordan to capitalize on his first-ever NFL snaps after a year and a half on the sidelines, to now making it tough for him to reside anywhere but Houston's 53-man roster.

Jordan's day had a major exclamation point in the middle of the third quarter when he broke out for a massive 50-yard gain that immediately placed the Texans from their own territory to right on the brink of scoring range.

Jawhar Jordan goes 50 yards in his first NFL game 💪

AZvsHOU on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2oNLkO4cxB
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025

While not able to punch it in himself, Jordan had his pads to blame for not being able to extend the extra few yards.

"Aw, man. My eyes got big. I'd just seen daylight," Jordan said of his 50-yard run. “And I was running as fast as I could. I got a little tired. It's hard not playing with full pads for a while. Then you're coming out here for the first time in full pads. It's a different feeling."

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Jawhar Jordan (26) runs with the ball during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Regardless, it'll be hard to see Jordan without those pads in practice moving forward, and instead, he could be a full-time participant in the running back room next to Marks, Nick Chubb, and Dare Ogunbowal, rather than simply part of the practice squad unit.

Once Marks is back healthy and in the mix for the Texans' backfield, Houston's run game will be even more explosive, but Jordan has definitely earned his way to a bit more snaps moving forward after a game like this one.

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