Texans Sign Former Titans WR Jha'Quan Jackson: What It Means

The Houston Texans have used one of their open roster spots to bring on a former wide receiver from their division rival Tennessee Titans, coming just one day ahead of kickstarting their OTAs.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, the Texans have agreed to a deal with free agent wide receiver and kick returner Jha'Quan Jackson.

#Texans sign wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson, per a league source @KPRC2
He is represented by @aurasportsgroup David Canter and Ness Mugrabi pic.twitter.com/z5HvUnpG9M
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) May 26, 2026

The move to sign Jackson comes after a recent workout the Texans hosted with a collection of five free agent wide receivers; primarily all with experience in the slot or on special teams.

Clearly, the Texans liked what they saw out of Jackson in particular, and made sure to scoop him up in the days following.

What Are the Texans Getting in Jha'Quan Jackson?

Jackson––the 5-foot-9, 188-pound pass-catcher, was a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft at 182nd overall, coming out of Tulane. He's played one season in the league with the Titans during his rookie year.

During that short time with the Titans, Jackson was primarily a returner and component on special teams, considering he logged just one reception for eight yards, but had 28 punt returns (7.7 yards/return) and 16 kick returns (25.8 yards/return) throughout that 2024 season.

Nov 3, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson (19) points to the defense against the New England Patriots during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Since his rookie season, Jackson's been a part of the New Orleans Saints' practice squad in 2025, and even had a stint with the New England Patriots during last year's offseason minicamp. However, he couldn't exactly find his footing in either situation.

Now, he finds his way to the Texans' 90-man roster with hopes of competing during their offseason training, and potentially finding a spot in this already-stacked wide receiver room once Week 1 kicks off.

What Jha'Quan Jackson Signing Means for Texans

Jackson, in terms of competing in this Texans wide receiver room, will certainly have an uphill climb to rise up the depth chart ahead of some talented names.

On the surface, there's at least five players in the Texans' wide receiver room who feel like locks to make the 53 man roster: Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Tank Dell, and Xavier Hutchinson.

That means for Jackson, he'll have to settle into a role that expands further than being simply a pass-catcher in the offense. More specifically, he'll be tasked with finding his niche on the special teams side.

Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Jha'Quan Jackson (19) goes through drill during minicamp at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

And that jump could actually be in the realm of possibilities. The Texans could have a different look in terms of their returning unit from 2025, considering Jaylin Noel––last year's primary returner––will be getting more looks in the offense as a slot weapon rather than just a component on special teams.

But even still, the Texans wide receiver room and its depth is pretty crowded with names outside of Jackson who will be trying to carve out a role for themselves however they can.

The Texans already had 12 wide receivers signed onto their 90-man roster before adding Jackson, and now he raises that number to 13. That includes three UDFAs who were picked up right after the draft, and one day three selection in Lewis Bond.

Jackson's addition makes the outlook on this Texans wide receiver even more interesting leading up to OTAs, and will make it a key position group to circle as the team lines up for 7-on-7 and 11-on-11s the first time leading up to next season.

Fun Fact: Jackon's uncle happens to be Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed, who even played half a season with the Texans back in 2013 before ultimately being waived to join the New York Jets and retiring after that season.

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