Texans Sign Former Vikings Player
The Houston Texans love former Minnesota Vikings players.
Texans Sign Former Vikings Player
Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs, Case Keenum, and Kris Boyd can attest. Houston made former ex-Vikings offensive guard Chris Reed the latest this week, adding the veteran lineman from free agency with training camp right around the bend.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson tweeted Tuesday, “Former Vikings center and guard and Minnesota State alum Chris Reed has a new team. Told he’s in agreement with the Houston.”
Reed, 31, played in seven games for the Vikings in 2022, starting one, the regular season finale at the Chicago Bears. He replaced Garrett Bradbury and Austin Schlottmann at center in a Week 17 contest at the Green Bay Packers with a performance he’d assuredly like to forget. But after one week’s worth of practice and reps at center — he’s a guard by trade — Reed played commendably at Soldier Field to wrap up the 2022 regular season.
Then, in 2023, Reed became a footnote when Dalton Risner joined the club, only playing two offensive snaps during the entire season. Accordingly, Reed was not a priority for the Vikings to re-sign, and he spent about four months on the open market before landing in Houston.
Minnesota, too, added Risner back to the roster in May, dampening any possibility of a Reed reunion.
Reed joined the Vikings after stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and Indianapolis Colts — a journeyman indeed.
The Minnesota State alumnus has experience with the aforementioned clubs playing left guard, right guard, and center. So far in his career, Reed has registered decent grades from Pro Football Focus, especially since 2019:
- 2016 = 53.5
- 2017 = 50.8
- 2018 = 57.3
- 2019 = 70.3
- 2020 = 63.0
- 2021 = 67.2
- 2022 = 54.3
- 2023 = n/a
Reed was viewed as a valuable commodity for Vikings fans two years ago when he joined the team because the Vikings’ guard play before head coach Kevin O’Connell took over inspired frequent nightmares. From 2018 to 2021, Minnesota could not solve the right guard spot, employing oodles of solutions that turned out to be half-measures. Everything changed, however, when O’Connell took over in 2022, stabilizing all offensive line operations.
In Houston, Reed actually has an honest-to-good chance of making the 53-man roster. At left guard, for example, the only player in front of him on the depth chart is 2022 1st-Rounder Kenyon Green. Reed won’t have to battle several guards for a roster spot.
The Vikings host Reed’s Texans in September. Because of the former player ties on both teams, it will be one of the most fascinating games on the schedule.
Reed will turn 32 on Monday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band)
.All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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