Houston released King on Tuesday.
King had been on the roster bubble throughout the preseason and may have sealed his fate with a muffed punt return in Houston's preseason finale. The veteran cornerback has extensive NFL experience as both a defender and return man, so he should be able to land on a team's roster in short order.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Past groin issue
Rotowire
King (groin) returned one punt for eight yards and played 20 defensive snaps during Houston's 28-10 preseason win over the Giants on Saturday.
King was dealing with a groin injury earlier in August that forced him to miss Houston's first preseason contest, but it now appears that he's moved past the issue. The Iowa product is expected to remain one of the Texans' top cornerbacks in 2024 after tallying 47 total tackles, including 1.0 sacks, and defending two passes across seven regular-season games with Houston last season.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Missing preseason game
Rotowire
King (groin) is slated to miss Houston's preseason matchup against the Steelers on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
King has appeared relatively healthy so far in camp, but he'll miss out on the Texans' first preseason outing with a groin injury. The 5-foot-10 cornerback was signed by Houston after being let go in the middle of the 2023 season from a mainly special teams role in Pittsburgh, finishing out the campaign with 47 tackles (22 solo) and one sack.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Productive day in defeat
Rotowire
King recorded 11 tackles, including two for a loss, and a pass defensed in the Texans' 36-22 loss to the Browns on Sunday.
The veteran has been active since taking over as Houston's nickelback in Week 13, recording double-digit tackles in three of four games. King has also has a sack in that span.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Earns new role
Rotowire
King will become the Texans' primary nickelback beginning Sunday against the Broncos, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
King returned to Houston on Nov. 20 after being let go by the Steelers. The Iowa product will now step into a significant role due to the departure of Shaquill Griffin, who was waived Wednesday. King started 25 of 33 games for the Texans between 2021 and 2022 and recorded 182 tackles, 14 passes defended and five interceptions.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Makes six stops in finale
Rotowire
King recorded six tackles and returned one punt for 16 yards in a 32-31 victory over the Colts in Week 18.
King ranked fourth with 89 tackles and tied for the lead with 10 for a loss this season. The six-year veteran has put together two consecutive strong seasons for the Texans, including five interceptions over that span. King averaged 9.4 punt return yards on 33 chances and returned one kickoff for 50 yards. He has one year left on his deal and should be part of the Texans' secondary in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Collects seven tackles
Rotowire
King recorded seven tackles (three solo) during Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Cowboys.
King played all but one defensive snap for Houston this past weekend, earning seven stops in the process. While both of fellow cornerbacks Steven Nelson (ankle) and Derek Stingley (hamstring) are currently listed as questionable for Week 15, King could once again find himself in an every-down role Sunday versus the Chiefs.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Pick leads to score
Rotowire
King had eight tackles (one on special teams), an interception, two passes defensed and returned two punts for 23 yards in Sunday's 23-7 loss to the 49ers.
King's interception, which featured a 32-yard return that was called back due to multiple infractions by the Texans, led to Houston's lone score. He's been a good find for Houston, despite a disciplinary scratch Week 8, and thrived since moving from slot corner to the outside. King has a career-high 79 tackles along with two interceptions, four passes defensed and one forced fumble this season.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Questionable to return Sunday
Rotowire
King is being evaluated for a concussion and is questionable to return to Sunday's contest against the Seahawks.
King recorded two tackles before leaving the game with a possible concussion. If he is unable to return, Tremon Smith will likely take over as the primary punt returner, and Lonnie Johnson will likely see more snaps at cornerback.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Active against Colts
Rotowire
King (hip) is active Week 6 against the Colts.
King has seen his involvement in the defense increase over the last few weeks, which has coincided with some of the best individual tackle totals of the 26-year-old's career. He was potentially in danger of missing Week 6 after sitting out Friday's practice, but it appears the hip issue has taken a turn for the better, and he won't have to miss his first game of the season.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Impressive tackling day
Rotowire
King recorded nine tackles (eight solo) and one forced fumble during Sunday's 40-0 loss to the Bills.
King racked up stats during Sunday's blowout loss, a contest in which he played 100 percent of defensive snaps for the first time this season. However, in Weeks 2 and 3, the veteran only played 26 and 46 percent of defensive snaps, respectively, so he isn't yet easy to trust for fantasy purposes.
... See More... See Less
Texans' Desmond King: Links with Texans
Rotowire
King is signing a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Texans, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
King played in six games with the Chargers last season before being traded to Tennessee, where he logged nine more appearances. He stands to compete for Houston's starting slot cornerback gig this offseason.
... See More... See Less
Chargers' Desmond King: Not listed on injury report
Rotowire
King wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report.
King was a surprise inactive during this past Sunday's loss to the Vikings, listed out for non-injury reasons. Denzel Perryman and Roderic Teamer didn't play Week 14 after missing a team meeting, but there weren't any reports that King's absence was related. Whatever the issue, it seems to be behind King, and he should be ready for Sunday's game against the Raiders.
