The Houston Texans had to make room for new quarterback Mark Gronowski on their practice squad, which resulted in bad news for Dominic Bailey.
“#Texans released rookie defensive lineman Dom Bailey from practice squad, per league source, as they added former #Dolphins @HawkeyeFootball @GoJacksFB quarterback Mark Gronowski,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on September 8.
“They are at #NFL limit, including international offensive tackle Max Pircher.”
The Texans were not done, either. The Texans announced via their official website on September 8, “The Houston Texans have signed the following players to the practice squad,” naming Gronowski and center Gavin Gerhardt.
In corresponding moves, the Texans also announced that they “have released the following players from the practice squad,” naming Bailey and Ka’ena De Cambra.
It is a direct swap for Gerhardt and De Cambra, who just signed on September 1.
Bailey’s departure is a bit more interesting from a Texans’ perspective, given that he was among their roster cuts at the deadline to get down to 53 players. He was brought back to the practice squad just to be released again.
Texans Add Former Vikings C
Gerhardt is the latest entrant into the Texans’ roster shuffle along the offensive line. A seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft, Gerhardt is unproven at the NFL level, but clearly showed the Vikings something to make him worth drafting.
“Gerhardt is a 49-game starter with outstanding leadership qualities,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote before the 2026 draft, adding, “He’s going to be more of a positional blocker than a people-mover, with the ability to find landmarks and fight for positioning. He’s aware of protection and makes the most of his length to keep rushers out of his frame. He’s a center-only prospect, which hurts his roster chances, but the tape is good enough to give him a chance.”
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted that Gerhardt’s high football IQ was indeed part of head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings’ logic behind drafting him.
Now, it is up to the Texans to bring out the best in Gerhardt.
“The Vikings drafted him for his smarts and culture fit,” Lewis wrote in July. “Coaches and teammates will love him. Prove he can hold up against stout NFL defensive linemen, and the Vikings may have found something.”
Gerhardt joins a group that includes listed starter Evan Brown and 2025 starter Jake Andrews and has seen rookie first-round pick Keylan Rutledge in the driver’s seat.
Texans Add Ex-Vikings Center, Cut Rookie Defensive Tackle in Roster Shake-Up