M.J.

Stewart

No surprise after Stewart was carted off. Myles Bryant replaced Stewart against the Jaguars in Week 10. It’s possible Jimmie Ward could eventually take the role after he recovers from foot surgery.

He left on a cart and in an aircast, it would be surprising if he weren’t ruled out for the rest of the season. Myles Bryant replaced Stewart, and the Texans will likely have Jimmie Ward replacing him at some point down the stretch.

Ward, who is dealing with a felony charge of assaulting a family/house member in June, will not practice or attend games while on the list. Houston will likely give MJ Stewart the snaps that Ward would have received until he is available to play this season. Ward, who had foot surgery this offseason, isn’t ready to practice yet even if he had been allowed to.

Terms aren’t yet available. Stewart has played just 443 defensive snaps in three years for the Texans, but offers a lot of versatility as a special-teams piece. Houston general manager Nick Caserio treats special teams with the utmost reverence, so of course Stewart is a priority re-sign for the Texans.

His backup, M.J. Stewart, went down with a shoulder injury right after Ward left the game. Stewart was also listed as questionable to return, though neither player looks particularly likely to retake the field at any point today.

The deal apparently includes $3 million guaranteed. A special teams ace signed away from the Browns last spring, Stewart appeared in all 17 games last season. He also played 178 largely effective snaps on defense, but the Texans won’t be looking to expand the 27-year-old’s role there.

The Texans just lost Justin Reid to the Chiefs, leaving them desperate for passable safety play. Stewart won’t be their only addition at the position but he is a start. Stewart appeared in 13 games for the Browns last year, logging four pass defenses and a forced fumble in the process.

Cleveland’s defense will go into Week 1 at way less than full strength and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Stewart, acquired last month off waivers, missed nearly two weeks of practice with a lingering hamstring issue. He was limited in Thursday’s practice. The Ravens excel in exploiting defensive weaknesses. This sets up for another massive opening game for Jackson and the Baltimore pass catchers.

Stewart was a second-round selection by the Bucs in 2018 but struggled to stay healthy or make an impact on the field. He missed 11 games across two seasons. Stewart started six games in Tampa Bay and recorded five passes defended. He will need to make a big splash in camp to have a shot at cracking Cleveland’s 53-man roster.

The No. 53 overall pick of the 2018 draft, Stewart’s Bucs career was plagued by injury and ineffectiveness. He missed six games with a foot issue in 2018 and five with a knee in 2019. One month shy of his 25th birthday, Stewart’s second-round pedigree means he is typically the type of player who would get a second chance, but roster spots are at an extreme premium this year.