The Houston Texans have shuffled their roster in the wake of their trade for Marvin Harrison Jr., which has ultimately cost Jared Wayne his spot with the 53-man group.
This, though, is not expected to be a permanent departure.
“#Texans releasing wide receiver Jared Wayne, per a league source, after trading for Marvin Harrison Jr. If he clears waivers, expected to join practice squad,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on October 12, noting “Wayne has caught four passes for 65 yards in five games and 12 targets this season.”
Wayne, 26, is a former undrafted free agent. He has appeared in nine games with four starts so far in his career and has a 6-85-0 line on 14 targets. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound pass-catcher was a staple on the Texans’ practice squad before earning a spot on the 53-man roster this year.
The Texans signed receiver Bryce Oliver back to the practice squad earlier in the day.
They also added quarterback Mark Gronowski back to the mix, putting their current practice squad count at 17 players, with offensive tackle Max Pircher not counting as an IPP player.
Texans Cut Jared Wayne Amid Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade Details
The news of Wayne’s (temporary) departure comes as the details of the Texans’ trade for Harrison became finalized.
The deal was still pending a physical when the full details of what the Texans surrendered in the trade with the Arizona Cardinals, at least as much as they can be finalized before the picks become players.
With the pick swap, the Texans moved up one round late and surrendered a second-round pick.
Texans get:
- Marvin Harrison Jr.
- 2027 sixth-round draft pick
Cardinals get:
- 2027 second-round pick
- 2027 seventh-round pick (via SF)
The seventh-round selection the Texans sent to the Cardinals came via the trade that sent defeenssive tackle Kalia Davis in 2024, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter on October 12.
Cardinals GM Gets Honest About Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort released a statement as the trade for Harrison became official.
“Decisions like this are never easy,” Ossenfort said via the team’s official website on October 12. “Ultimately, we have to do what is best for our football team and that will always be the driving factor. We are extremely grateful to Marvin for what he has contributed to our organization and wish him the very best as he moves forward in his career.”
Ossenfort’s comments come on the heels of Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur providing little insight into the reasoning beyond saying that he did not feel Harrison was performing up to the caliber of player they believed he was.
In the Houston, Harrison provides an instant upgrade over Wayne in the Texans offense.
That he has a pre-existing history with quarterback C.J. Stroud is a bonus that the Texans surely hope allows the former No. 4 overall pick to acclimate himself quickly. That will depend on his ability to absorb the playbook.
To Stroud’s benefit, the Texans have given him a top-three of two-time Pro Bowler Nico Collins, former New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte–another trade pickup–and Harrison.
That is a strong turnaround from the outlook after Jayden Higgins’ season-ending torn ACL.
The Texans also opened Tank Dell’s practice window, and he should be back on the field in relatively short order. That just further pushed Wayne down the Texans’ depth chart and, eventually, back onto the practice squad.
Texans Cut 6-Foot-3, 210-Pound WR as Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade Details Finalized