On Monday, Houston Texans defensive back Grayland Arnold celebrated his 26th birthday. He received gifts from various family members and friends, but the one that stood out the most came a week prior from the Houston Texans organization and the coaching staff: a spot on the 53-man roster.
Arnold went undrafted in 2020 before eventually signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was released in September 2021 and was immediately signed by the Texans. After spending time on the practice squad, the former second-team All-American was elevated to the active roster against the Seattle Seahawks last December.
Buy Texans Tickets“Man, you don’t know how good it felt not to get that call,” said Arnold of earning his spot on the Texans’ roster. “Getting it for the first three years of my career makes me cautious once this time of the year comes around, but things worked in my favor, and here I am.”
Good fortune wasn’t the only thing that worked in Arnold’s favor during training camp; his hard work and dedication stood out to former defensive coordinator and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“With Grayland [Arnold], he’s another player who’s done a really good job all off-season of just handling any role that we’ve given him,” Ryans explained during his press conference on Monday. “Grayland has done really well, done a great job on special teams. I can show highlights of Grayland every single day in our team meeting because he does it exactly like we teach it. He shows up; he makes the plays.
“When it comes to the defense, Grayland is versatile enough where he can play the safety; he’s done a really good job at safety. We saw that against the Saints in the preseason. Now, he’s getting some reps as well at the nickel position, so we’ll see where he can handle. Grayland is a good football player, and as many good football players as we can get out on the field, that’s what we’ll strive to do.”
“At the end of the day, I try not to overthink it and let it be football,” said Texans DB Grayland Arnold who will be moving from the safety position to play more nickel back this season. #Texans #Sarge @TheTexansWire pic.twitter.com/tW0FnaVh09
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) September 5, 2023
Arnold stood out in training camp and the preseason, especially in Houston’s final game against the New Orleans Saints when he had an interception in the end zone and nearly had another one on the middle of the field late in the game.
His opportunity came when the Texans cut veteran slot corner Desmond King, who had spent two years with the team. The move will afford Arnold more playing time at nickel back, a position that the natural safety has played in his career.
“The only difference is the eye progression,” Arnold said of playing both positions. “That is one of the most important things is the eye progression. You are seeing different things, and things are happening faster whether than slower at safety. At the end of the day, I try not to overthink it and let it be football.”
With a short practice on Monday, Arnold planned on spending some downtime with his family to celebrate his birthday. The only thing missing is the cake from his daughter, who made one for him but decided to eat it herself.
