Fans shouldn’t feel comfortable seeing Quintez Cephus with the Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are doing everything they can to support CJ Stroud in 2024. They re-signed tight end Dalton Schultz, drafted teammate Cade Stover, traded for receiver Stefon Diggs, re-signed Nico Collins and traded for running back Joe Mixon. Each move was aimed at strengthening Stroud and giving him the best supporting cast possible.

That doesn’t even include the smaller moves, like trading for Ben Skowronek or re-signing Noah Brown. The team is deep, so it’s a pretty odd move for them to sign yet another offensive weapon, this time in former Detroit Lions receiver Quintez Cephus. The decision to sign Cephus is somewhat surprising, as the Texans’ receiver room is already stacked to the brim.

The Texans already have Diggs, Collins, Skowronek and Brown. We haven’t even mentioned Tank Dell, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Johnny Johnson III or Steven Sims. The Texans can probably keep six receivers, which makes Cephus’ chances of making the team highly unlikely.

His career is more known for being suspended for gambling than for his play. A game that, since his rookie year, has seen his productivity decline. He’s quite large, at 6’1″ and 200 pounds, but he’s not much of a sprinter with a 4.6-second 40-yard dash. He’s also not exactly a highly touted prospect, sitting until the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

There is virtually no chance he will play in place of Diggs, Collins, Dell or Brown. Given that the team traded their draft capital for Skowronek, it is safe to say he is. Beyond that, Metchie has the potential to succeed and will likely earn the team’s final roster spot. It is safe to say the team would rather keep the veteran Woods than Cephus. It is also safe to say they would rather keep the player they drafted, Hutchinson, than Cephus.

Cephus is unlikely to make the team, but the Texans could consider him for the practice squad and will evaluate him accordingly. However, anyone who thinks he will have a bigger role on the team than a spot on the practice squad should take a step back and realize how full this receiver room is.