Texans sign WR who hasn't played in 3 years after missed chance with 49ers

Billy Heyen

Texans sign WR who hasn't played in 3 years after missed chance with 49ers image

The Houston Texans are taking a chance on a new wide receiver.

They had to waive a different wideout to make the roster move on Wednesday, but it is a low-risk choice with the chance to pay dividends.

The move: Signing WR Quintez Ceephus and waiving Johnny Johnson III with an injury designation.

Cephus was previously with the 49ers this summer but didn't stick there.

The speedy wideout entered the NFL in 2020 as a fifth-round pick by the Lions. He appeared in NFL games in 2020, 2021 and 2022 for Detroit.

His best season came as a rookie, when he caught 20 passes for 349 yards and two TDs. In 2021, he added 15 catches for 204 yards and two more scores. Cephus had a pair of receptions in 2022.

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Cephus missed the 2023 season with injury. In 2024, he spent time on the Rams' practice squad.

The Rams cut Cephus in June, and he got less than a week with San Francisco before they moved on from him, too.

Houston has at least one extra spot on its wide receiver depth chart with Tank Dell injured.

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Nico Collins holds the top spot, followed by Christian Kirk and rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.

Houston already has veterans Justin Watson and Braxton Berrios along with returning WRs Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III.

That's a lot to break through for Cephus, but at this point of his career, it's all about getting a chance.

Cephus got another opportunity, and it's up to him to try and surprise and breakthrough to earn a job.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle