Getty O.J. Howard #8 of the Buffalo Bills waves to a group of fans after a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
O.J. Howard may not get his chance to beat the Buffalo Bills after all.
Shortly after the Bills made the tight end a surprise release on cutdown day, there were reports that he was planning to join the Cincinnati Bengals to put him on course for a late-season reunion with the team that cut him. But Howard’s plans abruptly changed, leading him to sign with the Houston Texans on Thursday.
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Howard’s Wild Week
Not long after he was released by the Bills, it appeared certain that Howard was set to join the Bengals. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on August 31 that Howard was visiting Cincinnati and was set to sign quickly.
“That was fast: The #Bengals are hosting FA TE OJ Howard on a visit today and assuming all goes well with the physical, he’s expected to sign, source said,” Rapoport tweeted. “The former first-rounder was a surprising cut yesterday and this should come together today.”
But the deal never came together, and Howard instead paid a visit to the Texans and took a physical on Thursday. Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reported that Howard would be signing a contract with the Texans.
Texans signing O.J. Howard, per a league source
Had he joined the Bengals, Howard would have faced off against the Bills in what could have been a critical Week 17 game. The Bills travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals in a Monday Night Football matchup, one that could have playoff seeding implications.
Though the 27-year-old Howard is coming off a season where he had just 14 catches for 135 yards and one touchdown, many expected him to make the Bills’ final roster.
Bills Show Faith in Young Tight End
With Howard’s release, second-year tight end Quintin Morris secured a spot on Buffalo’s 53-man roster. After spending a year on the practice squad, Morris had a strong showing in training camp and through three preseason games.
Morris admitted that cutdown day was a tense one for him.
“There’s never a point where I really feel comfortable,” he told reporters after practice on Tuesday, via the Buffalo News. “It’s definitely a sense of relief, but at the end of the day you never know. You gotta provide yourself every day to stay.”
Along with his spot on the roster behind starter Dawson Knox, Morris also got a new nameplate in his locker. After having a misspelled plate through the preseason, Morris now had one with his name spelled correctly.
“I could care less about it,” he said. “I am pretty sure everybody knows who I am. I might say something now … It’s not a big deal to me.”
While Howard is gone from the Bills, he could still have an effect on the team going forward. WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio reported that the Bills could also get a measure of cap relief in the future now that Howard has joined another team.
“If OJ Howard were to sign with another team’s 53 man roster, the Bills may get some salary cap money back NEXT YEAR based on guaranteed money with new team and bonuses that might be paid out,” he tweeted.
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Ex-Bills TE Makes Abrupt Change After Reports He Was Joining Rival