Jared Wayne is getting called up.
The Houston Texans have added Wayne from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of their divisional round against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.
He’ll replace Diontae Johnson, who was waived after two games after being claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens ahead of a postseason run.
In place of Wayne on the practice squad, the Texans signed former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Alex Erickson.
Wayne, a former undrafted free agent from Pitt, played in three games this season, primarily on special teams, with no targets or catches. He was last active against the Chiefs in Week 17’s 27-19 loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
We have signed Jared Wayne to the active roster from the practice squad and made another roster move. pic.twitter.com/IiWIMyUY88
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) January 15, 2025
Johnson, who was expected to compete for the No. 2 job after his demise in Baltimore, caught one pass in a playoff win for 12 yards. It was his only target and he played 16 snaps on offense for 22 percent of the playing time.
After the game during the open locker room session for interviews, Johnson was seen visibly upset sitting in his locker. He seemed frustrated because of a lack of playing time and targets.
Running back Joe Mixon and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair tried to comfort and encourage him. Two days later, he was waived.
“Diontae, unfortunately it didn’t work out,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said, “And we are on to the Chiefs.”
Kickoff from Arrowhead is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and ABC.
