Cornerback Damon Arnette spent the 2025 UFL season in Houston and he’ll be trying to spend the 2025 NFL season in the same city.
According to multiple reports, the Texans will sign Arnette to their 90-man roster. Arnette recently worked out for the team.
It’s the first time Arnette will be on an NFL roster since early 2022. He was a 2020 first-round pick by the Raiders, but was released during his rookie season after the release of a video showing him making threats while carrying a firearm. He was signed to a future contract by the Chiefs in 2022, but was released after being arrested for assault.
Arnette put himself back on the NFL radar by playing well with the Roughnecks in the UFL and he’ll now have a chance at a more successful second act in the big leagues.
The wrongful discharge lawsuit filed earlier this week by former Chiefs director of player engagement Ramzee Robinson includes a claim based on an alleged effort by the Texans to hire him.
And so we asked the Texans if they had any comment about Robinson’s claim. The Texans have declined comment.
The relevant language in the complaint appears in paragraph 24: “Some months before his termination, Mark Donovan pressured Plaintiff to renew his contract and claimed that the contract would offer him stability. After Plaintiff signed, the Houston Texans asked KC Chiefs’ management to interview Plaintiff. The KC Chiefs refused. The KC Chiefs told the Texans that an interview would violate his contract. Plaintiff discovered this information when a representative from the Texans called him personally and asked him about this missed opportunity.”
The NFL’s Anti-Tampering Policy covers this situation. Unless the Texans were offering Robinson an opportunity to become a “high-level employee” (basically, G.M. or team president), the Chiefs had every right under the policy to refuse to allow Robinson to interview with the Texans.
Moreover, Robinson may have disclosed a possible violation of the Anti-Tampering policy by mentioning that someone from the Texans “called him personally and asked him about this missed opportunity.”
So, in the end, there’s a chance that Houston’s effort to acquire an employee could result in the team acquiring a tampering investigation.
After his playing career ended, Ramzee Robinson spent nine years working for the Chiefs. In the aftermath of the termination of his employment, Robinson has sued the Chiefs.
PFT has obtained a copy of a lawsuit filed Monday by Robinson in a Missouri federal court.
The 11-page complaint accuses the Chiefs of wrongful discharge on the basis of race, retaliatory discharge arising from complaints regarding pay disparities and inequities based on race, and tortious interference with business expectancy.
Robinson worked as the team’s director of player engagement. He alleges that his pay fell behind comparable positions with other teams, and that team president Mark Donovan “rejected Plaintiff’s requests for a compensation review and/or salary increase.” Robinson also contends that the “KC Chiefs paid African-American business employees less than their white counterparts.”
On the last theory, Robinson claims that the Texans requested to interview Robinson, and that the Chiefs refused. They told the Texans an interview would violate Robinson’s contract.
The complaint doesn’t address the obvious question of whether the Chiefs were entitled to refuse permission under the tampering policy.
The Chiefs will have the right to respond to the complaint, either by answering the allegations or filing a motion to dismiss the case.
It’s also possible that Robinson’s contract contains an arbitration clause, given the habit of the NFL’s teams to push non-player legal claims into the secret, rigged kangaroo court presided over by the Commissioner. If so, look for the Chiefs to make an aggressive attempt to force Robinson’s case out of open court.
The Texans could decide on the location of their new team headquarters soon as talks have sped up in recent weeks, team president Mike Tomon told Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.
“We’ve had a number of suitors proactively reach out to us on different options that were really focused on us moving our headquarters and training facility to their respective spaces,” Tomon said. “They’ve gotten mature enough that it has become apparent to us that we need to get prepared to take advantage of something this significant.”
The Texans’ current practice facility and team headquarters is located at NRG Stadium.
Tomon, who formerly worked for one of Jerry Jones’ companies, said the Texans want to build a “world-class” training facility with an entertainment district. The Cowboys began that trend in 2016 when they debuted a 91-acre development that includes The Star team headquarters and the Ford Center’s 12,000-seat indoor stadium.
The Cowboys’ facility is located 35 miles from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and the Texans likewise could move away from their stadium and out of the city.
The Texans are one of four NFL teams whose headquarters is inside its stadium.
Harris County, home to the city of Houston, is in the running but “many” other counties and entities in the area have expressed interest.
“I don’t have an exact timeline,” Tomon told Alexander. “Is that 30 days? Is it six months? But what I would share is the conversations we’re having and the opportunities in front of us are at a level where we know we need to get prepared.
“It’s gotten to that level where it’s like, ‘We now need to make sure we’re prepared to start this journey.’”
Tytus Howard finished last season at left guard, but after C.J. Stroud took 52 sacks during the regular season and 13 more in the playoffs, the Texans overhauled their offensive line. They traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil, cut right guard Shaq Mason and replaced center Jarrett Patterson.
Howard and right tackle Blake Fisher are the only returning starters, and only Fisher is returning at the same position he played last season.
Howard has moved to right guard, with Laken Tomlinson now at left guard.
“I love it, man,” Howard told Aaron Wilson of KPRC. “Just getting these reps in. Probably the first time I got a chance to get this many reps in at guard before the season started. So, I’m doing the best I can do to get the technique down. And the coaches have been doing a tremendous job helping me with that.”
Howard primarily has played left guard and right tackle with a stint at left tackle. Center is the only spot he hasn’t played, and Howard said he could do it if asked.
“If I had to, if I had to,” Howard said. “The more you can do. . . . I’m a guy who can play at every spot on the offensive line. I can play at a high level at every spot. I’ve just got to keep working and continue to get better. I feel like this year is going to be my biggest year.”
It hasn’t taken long for Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk to become impressed with quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Kirk said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that the 23-year-old Stroud runs the offense like a seasoned veteran.
“The thing that sticks out about C.J. is he’s super mild-mannered, but he has a lot of confidence, he’s smart, he sees things well,” Kirk said. “He’s a really good communicator and I think with that position, quarterback, and him being a younger guy, that’s a big part of him getting to where he is now and still excelling, the communication piece with not only the receivers but new offensive coordinator, offensive line, whatever the case may be it’s just open communication and us being all on the same page to help him excel.”
Kirk believes Stroud can lead the Texans to a championship.
“He’s going to take this team as far as we want to go, with him being at his best,” Kirk said. “He’s been great within the few months of spending time around him, communicating with him in the locker room, outside the facility, he’s got a bright future and I’m really excited to get to work with him.”
Kirk, who has previously played four years with the Cardinals and three with the Jaguars, was traded to the Texans in March. He thinks he’s in the right place, with the right quarterback.
After spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Browns, running back Nick Chubb signed with the Texans last week. But he still considers Cleveland home.
Chubb posted a statement on social media praising the Browns’ fans and saying he wants to see the city get the winning team it deserves.
“7 years. That’s more than just time - it’s where I grew roots, found a home, and felt a love like nowhere else. Cleveland, you didn’t just embrace me; you became family,” Chubb wrote. “To every fan who cheered, shouted, and believed- you gave me purpose. To this city, with its grit, heart, and unforgettable spirit: you showed me what true community feels like. To my teammates, only we know how hard we fought every day and night. Relentless effort; scratching and clawing, doing all we could to win games, not only for us, but for the city. You guys kept me going everyday and i will never forget my time with you in the building and on the field. I came here to play football, but I’m leaving with so much more- memories that’ll last a lifetime, friendships that changed me, and pride in calling this place home.
“This city deserves a winning season every year. It’s earned it. This city doesn’t quit The people never stop believing. And my Brothers in that locker room, will never stop fighting. Cleveland’s time is now… and not because they are owed anything, but because RESILIENCE ALWAYS WINS. Just like we preached everyday in meetings.
“This isn’t goodbye to what we built; it’s a thank you. For the trust, the passion, and the moments that made me feel like I belonged here from day one. Cleveland, you’ll always have a piece of my heart. Until we meet again.”
The Texans don’t play the Browns this year, so Chubb won’t meet Cleveland again unless they both make the playoffs — something that seems unlikely but that Chubb thinks the fans deserve to see.
Texans safety Jimmie Ward was released on $30,000 bail set by a magistrate Thursday afternoon, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports.
Ward, 33, was booked on charges of assault family violence impeding breath/circulation, a third-degree felony under Texas law.
Montgomery County deputies were called to Ward’s home at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Ward’s fiancé alleges he assaulted, strangled and threatened her, according to Wilson.
She filed an emergency protective order against Ward.
The Texans and the NFL both acknowledged they were aware of Ward’s arrest.
Ward has not practiced in the offseason as he rehabs from foot surgery.
Texans safety Jimmie Ward was arrested on Thursday morning.
Per information from the Montgomery County, Texas jail, via the Houston Chronicle, Ward was arrested at his home early on Thursday and is currently being held without bond. He is facing a a felony assault family violence charge and no other details of the circumstances leading to his arrest are known.
“We are aware of the report involving Jimmie Ward,” the Texans said in a statement. “We are gathering more information and have no further comment at this time.”
Ward, who is in his third season with the Texans, has not been practicing this spring after having foot surgery. He started all 20 games he played over the last two seasons.
Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was let go by four teams last year, and he had only one offer this year. Johnson signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum of $1.17 million in what might be his last chance in the NFL.
“They were the only team to hit me up,” Johnson said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
In 2024, the Steelers traded Johnson to the Panthers, who traded him to the Ravens, who cut him. The Texans signed him and then cut him after 22 days. He caught 33 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in the worst season in his career.
“I don’t like to speak on a lot of stuff, so I just, everybody’s going to have their opinions,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day, I’m the only one in that room that really knows what’s going on. I can only go off of what I know and then try to put out my best effort. But last year is last year. I’m trying to turn and change that narrative and move the right way and just keep going.”
Johnson, 28, earned Pro Bowl honors in 2021 when he caught 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Thus, he writes off 2024 as an aberration.
“One bad year,” Johnson said. “It’s one year. I had five great seasons in Pittsburgh. I had one year, that doesn’t define me as a player. None of that. My character or none of that. So like I said, everybody’s going to say what they want to say about me, but I know who I am as a person deep down and that’s all that matters to me.”
