The Houston Texans have finalized their decision on Kyonte Hamilton.
“#Texans removed Kyonte Hamilton (knee) from injured reserve with injury settlement,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on September 8.
Hamilton is a second-year player whom the head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Texans selected in the seventh round of the 2025 draft with the 224th overall pick. The 6-foot-4, 300-plus-pound former Rutgers standout did not see the field during the regular season as a rookie.
He suffered an injury during the preseason, and the Texans waived him with an injury designation at the roster cutdown deadline.
Hamilton then went through a standard waiver wire process.
Once he cleared waivers without a team claiming him, Hamilton reverted to the Texans’ injured reserve. This is the final step in the process that will allow Hamilton to become an unrestricted free agent.
If the Texans and Hamilton want to reunite, they must wait for whatever length of time they agreed to for the settlement plus an additional three weeks.
Texans Officially Move On From DT Kyonte Hamilton
Hamilton’s inactivity as a rookie came after he suffered an injury in July 2025, but he entered the league with an intriguing profile.
“You can see his wrestling background in his bend and hand strength, especially when he gets underneath blocks and imposes his will,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in “The Beast” pre-draft guide in 2025. “He flashes twitch and fast hands off the snap, but his block recognition to be more of a playmaker in the run game is still developing. Overall, Hamilton is strong, explosive and durable. He’s viewed as an ascending prospect by NFL teams.”
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein also noted Hamilton’s durability, as well as his steadiness.
“He plays with a nice blend of quickness and athleticism to circumvent blocks on the move. However, he’s not a forceful upfield penetrator and has issues playing with consistent technical savvy to anchor his gap against force,” Zierlein wrote before the 2025 draft.
“Rush production has been modest but he flashed more in 2024. He’s a good athlete with room for more development but might not find the reps needed in camp to take that next step.”
Notably, both Brugler and Zierlein projected Hamilton as a priority free agent.
Houston Texans Officially Part Ways With ‘Explosive’ Recent NFL Draft Pick