Texans' New Free Agent Signing Creates Questions About Marlin Klein

The Houston Texans have made another addition to their tight end room on the tail end of their OTAs period.

On Thursday, the Texans announced that they've officially signed tight end Louis Hansen to their 90-man roster— an undrafted free agent out of UConn— to bolster their depth a bit at the position.

We have signed Louis Hansen and made other roster moves. pic.twitter.com/vX0Mkg2N7m
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) June 4, 2026

Along with the move to sign Hansen, the Texans cut UDFA wide receiver Jalen Walthall to make room for his addition.

On the surface, the signing might not mean a ton. Hansen was a UDFA lingering on the market over a month after the draft had concluded, and unless he makes some major waves in training camp, isn't exactly a favorite to make the 53-man cut later this year.

However, what Hansen's addition does do is add a bit of concern regarding the Texans' second-round rookie tight end, Marlin Klein, who's recently been a non-participant at Houston's OTAs practice with an undisclosed injury.

What's Going on With Marlin Klein?

Questions were first sparked around Klein when the Texans held him out of practice earlier in the week, while DeMeco Ryans didn't give much intel on exactly what was going on with his second-round tight end.

When asked if he had an update on Klein’s status following practice on Tuesday, Ryans replied with a simple "no" without giving any other details.

Now, just a few days later, they've made an eye-catching addition to bring depth into their tight end room with a young dart throw in Hansen. At the very least, it does raise a few eyebrows.

Klein does appear to have made strides from the injury he had suffered during OTAs, considering he was at Houston's Thursday practice. However, he still was not fully participating like he had been the previous week.

#Texans rookie tight end Marlin Klein, who didn't practice Tuesday @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/trIAz15MLU
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 4, 2026

Should There Be Concern About Marlin Klein's Health?

In reality, it seems like Klein's ailment might not be much to worry about. With over three months still to go between now and when the Texans kick off their 2026 campaign, there's more than enough time for the rookie to recover from whatever he's dealing with.

If the issue is still prevalent in training camp, maybe the conversation shifts.

However, if Klein is dealing with anything for him to miss time between now and the preparation for next season, the Texans have a solid share of depth pieces to lean on at the position.

Not only will Dalton Schultz continue to lead the way in the depth chart at the position, but veteran free agent addition Foster Moreau is gradually getting adjusted to his new offense that could eventually cement him as the TE2, even when Klein is deemed fully healthy.

Brevin Jordan is also trending back to 100% after missing back-to-back years with season-ending knee injuries that make him an intriguing roster candidate, while Cade Stover, who's been working between tight end and fullback for his hopes of landing a spot on the 53-man, will also help aid that depth outlook a little more as well.

So, overall, the Texans’ tight end depth is miles better than what the landscape was this time last year, which means even if without Klein, they'll be in decent shape. As to how the rookie recovers from his recent injury, though, will still remain a storyline to keep an eye on until he's back to a full participant.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google