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Texans sign WRs Zay Jones, Sterling Shepard

By Thomson Reuters Aug 22, 2026 | 1:04 PM

The Houston Texans signed a pair of wide receivers on Saturday, adding Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard on the ​heels of fellow wideout Jayden Higgins ‌being ruled out for the season with a torn ACL.

In a corresponding move, linebacker K.C. Ossai was added to the reserved/injured list.

Jones, 31, played in ‌eight ​games for the Arizona ⁠Cardinals last season and ⁠had 12 receptions for 183 yards. Over nine NFL seasons, Jones has 307 receptions for 3,295 yards and 18 touchdowns for ​the Buffalo Bills (2017-19), Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders (2019-21), Jacksonville Jaguars (2022-23) and Cardinals.

Shepard, 33, played in ⁠13 games (two starts) for ⁠the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season ​and had 39 receptions for 371 yards and ​one TD. In 10 NFL seasons, he ‌has 443 receptions for 4,800 yards and 25 TDs for the New York Giants (2016-23) and Buccaneers.

Ossai, 23, was on the Miami ⁠Dolphins’ practice squad last season and was signed by the Texans on May 26. He has yet ⁠to play ‌in an NFL game. Ossai’s ⁠injury is undisclosed.

Higgins, 23, was ​injured in ‌a red-zone drill during a ​joint practice ⁠Tuesday with the Raiders. A second-round draft pick last year, Higgins recorded 41 catches for 525 yards and six touchdowns in 17 games (10 starts) during his rookie season in 2025.

–Field ​Level Media