Recently Discarded Viking Is Now Starting for Texans
The Houston Texans are cruising into the playoffs, and a recently released Minnesota Vikings safety is apparently now a starter in DeMeco Ryans’ defense. He’s K’Von Wallace, who spent a couple of months in Minnesota this season.
The Texans’ attrition opened a lane, and a former Viking has seized the moment in DeMeco Ryans’ defense for the time being.
The Vikings cut Wallace loose at the end of October, and somehow, he’s earned a starter’s job in one of the NFL’s best units.
Houston’s Injuries Clear Path for K’Von Wallace
Did you have Wallace as a starter in 2025 on your bingo board?
Wallace Climbs Houston’s Depth Chart
For starters, Yahoo Sports‘ B. Keith Crear III wrote last weekend, “The headline move of the day, signing K’Von Wallace from the practice squad to the 53-man roster isn’t about finding a new starter, it’s about insurance.”
“Ameer Speed, who was waived to make room, offered intrigue as a special teams gunner with elite velocity (pun intended), but Wallace offers something more valuable in Week 17. Wallace has bounced around the league (Eagles, Cardinals, Titans, Seahawks), but that journey is a feature, not a bug, for DeMeco Ryans right now.”
With that move, Wallace joined the gameday roster, a promotion for the veteran defender.
Fast forward to this week, and Wallace is evidently a starter. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted, “Texans updated depth chart: K’Von Wallace starting safety.”
Here’s the tweet:
Houston is missing safeties Jimmie Ward, Jaylen Reed, and M.J. Stewart — all on IR — and that’s enough to get Wallace to the front of the line.
The Brief Stop with Vikings
The New York Giants cut Wallace loose on August 24, 2025, and right after the Vikings’ summer roster cuts, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added him to the practice squad. He stayed attached to the roster for two months before being released on October 28th.
Wallace was never promoted to Minnesota’s active roster and hence didn’t see a regular season field. Back in August and September, longtime safety Harrison Smith battled a bizarre mystery ailment, so Wallace was needed as emergency depth insurance.
Smith eventually healed up just fine, and by Halloween, Wallace wasn’t needed on the practice squad, as the Vikings already had Smith, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Tavierre Thomas as safeties to utilize.
Two weeks after Minnesota cut ties, Houston signed Wallace to its practice squad — and he’s a starter one month later.
Wallace’s Career Bio
Wallace is at 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, a compact, durable build that fits a modern defense. The Virginia native has quietly pieced together a legitimate NFL career, appearing in 73 games over five seasons with 19 starts along the way.
The production reflects role clarity. Wallace owns one interception, 173 tackles, and more than 1,500 defensive snaps, plus nearly 1,000 on special teams. That workload is evident. The Texans’ coaching staff trusts him to handle assignments and thrive in a hellfire defense.
Since entering the league as a 4th-Round pick in 2020, Wallace’s path has been nomadic:
- Philadelphia Eagles (2020–2022)
- Arizona Cardinals (2023)
- Tennessee Titans (2023)
- Seattle Seahawks (2024)
- New York Giants (2025)
- Minnesota Vikings (2025)
- Houston Texans (2025)
At this stage, Wallace was widely regarded as a core special teamer. Houston’s promotion challenges that assumption and suggests his value extends beyond that of a role player.
The Texans’ Defense by the Numbers
Meanwhile, it’s not like Wallace is mopping up the back end of a poor defense. Houston will visit the playoffs — and perhaps win a game or two — because the defense is so mighty.
Here’s where group ranks entering Week 18:
- EPA/Play: 1st
- Points Allowed: 1st
- Yards Allowed: 1st
- DVOA: 2nd
- 3rd Down Conv: 4th
With those numbers in play, Wallace’s apparent promotion as a starter is incredibly impressive.
In fact, NFL.com‘s Eric Edholm calls the Houston the NFL’s eighth-best team in his weekly power rankings, sandwiched between the Chicago Bears (No. 7) and Los Angeles Rams (No. 9).
He wrote this week, “The Texans continue to fascinate as potential playoff sleepers. On Saturday, they showed some early offensive flash against the Chargers before turning the game over to be finished off by their terrific defense. It wasn’t easy against Justin Herbert, who made some heroic plays to keep Los Angeles in it, but Houston found a way to win its eighth straight.”
“When you consider that streak and the caliber of opponent that has managed to beat the Texans so far this season (Houston has fallen to potentially five playoff teams, none by more than eight points), it paints a picture of this squad’s postseason potential, especially in a field that won’t include Patrick Mahomes. The Texans aren’t perfect, and C.J. Stroud still must be more consistent, but any measure of steadiness would make Houston a fearsome playoff matchup.”
Wallace will be a free agent in March and will turn 29 next summer.
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