The Houston Texans face unexpected uncertainty about Kamari Lassiter, a former second-round pick and a Pro Bowl alternate in 2025.
Lassiter shared a video to his Instagram story featuring rapper NBA YoungBoy, in which the Louisiana artist said, “Ya’ll been playing with the slime. See, all ya’ll used to love me. Now, don’t nobody love me.
“But I think ya’ll forgot, I ain’t never like ya’ll b****** anyway. So, what the problem is?”
Lassiter is one of several Texans players not performing up to expectations this season amid their 2-5 start.
He has allowed a 66.7% completion rate, 8.0 yards per target, and a 106.7 passer rating–all career-highs–per Pro Football Reference. Surprisingly, his missed tackle rate–an issue for the Texans defense as a whole this season–is at a career-low mark.
Nevertheless, there are questions about a player some considered a DeMeco Ryans favorite.
Kamari Lassiter Called ‘Surprising Primary Suspect’ Amid Texans’ Dysfunction
Lassiter is on track for a career-high in tackles, and the third-year Texans playmaker recorded his first sack and fumble recovery of his career this season. However, he also stands out for the wrong reasons in an error-plagued Texans secondary.
“The exciting young secondary has gone from being a strength to a major disappointment this season, with third-year corner Kamari Lassiter as a surprising primary suspect. He dropped an interception that would have won the game against the Bills, allowed a game-losing touchdown on the next snap and hasn’t really recovered, with offenses picking on him all year,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote on October 26.
“With Jalen Pitre still sidelined by a shoulder injury, the Texans moved Lassiter into the slot and played Tremon Smith on the outside, which didn’t solve their problems.”
Barnwell framed the situation by questioning if the Texans’ defense was still “elite.”
The numbers do not bear that out, casting doubts upon Lassiter and the Texans’ ability to pull themselves out of their current tailspin, which got a two-week reprieve with wins over the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Texans Getting ‘Short-Term’ Fix for Long-Term Issue
Both Ryans and Texans general manager Nick Caserio lamented the team’s poor tackling and the number of explosive plays they have allowed this season, the latter of which has been Lassiter’s biggest issue so far.
Barnwell believes “a short-term improvement is likely on the way.”
“The Texans are now on their bye, which will give Ryans a chance to reimagine the defense after taking over playcalling duties earlier this month,” Barnwell noted. “After the bye, the Texans get to face the Chargers, Browns and Colts, who aren’t exactly blowing away opposing defenses.”
📺: FOX
The Chargers are the NFL’s last winless team, and they will face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8. However, Caserio noted the Chargers team is better than their record.
Barnwell took a different approach, expressing a lack of confidence in the Texans.
“It’s tough to believe that this version of the Texans is going to be able to hold up against the league’s best offenses,” Barnwell wrote. “And frankly, if they couldn’t stop [J.J.] McCarthy, are we sure the Texans won’t have trouble against Deshaun Watson and Daniel Jones?”
Houston Texans ‘Primary Suspect’ Shares Eyebrow-Raising Message