Houston released King on Tuesday. King had been on the roster bubble throughout the preseason and may have sealed his fate with a muffed punt return in Houston's preseason finale. The veteran cornerback has extensive NFL experience as both a defender and return man, so he should be able to land on a team's roster in short order.
King (groin) returned one punt for eight yards and played 20 defensive snaps during Houston's 28-10 preseason win over the Giants. King was dealing with a groin injury earlier in August that forced him to miss Houston's first preseason contest, but it now appears that he's moved past the issue. The Iowa product is expected to remain one of the Texans' top cornerbacks in 2024 after tallying 47 total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, and defending two passes across seven regular-season games with Houston last season.
King (groin) is slated to miss Houston's preseason matchup against the Steelers on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. King has appeared relatively healthy so far in camp, but he'll miss out on the Texans' first preseason outing with a groin injury. The 5-foot-10 cornerback was signed by Houston after being let go in the middle of the 2023 season from a mainly special teams role in Pittsburgh, finishing out the campaign with 47 tackles (22 solo) and one sack.
King and the Texans agreed on a one-year, $1.8 million contract Saturday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports. King signed with Houston in November after being cut by the Steelers a month earlier, appearing in their final seven games of the regular season as well as both of their postseason matchups. The defensive back racked up a total of 64 tackles, including 2.0 sacks, while also deflecting two passes in those nine games. King also operated as a return specialist for the Texans, compiling 109 yards on punt returns and another 23 yards on kick returns. He can earn up to $2.2 million in his new deal with Houston, and he'll look to carve out a consistent role with the ascending Texans.