After playing in the Houston Texans' past two games, tight end Irv Smith Jr. will be back in action with the NFL team on Saturday, but this time he'll be playing as a member of the active roster, not as a practice-squad elevation.
The Texans announced on Friday that they had signed the Alabama alumnus to their 53-man active roster with Houston set to play the Kansas City Chiefs at noon CST Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Smith has played 40 offensive snaps and nine special-teams plays in the Texans' past two games as a practice-squad elevation. Each NFL team can elevate two members of its practice squad to active status for each game.
Smith got his first chance to play in the 2024 season after tight end Teagan Quitoriano went on injured reserve because of a knee injury. Smith joins the active roster with tight end Cade Stover out for a second straight game after having an appendectomy on Saturday.
To make room for Smith on the active roster, Houston released wide receiver Steven Sims.
Smith joined the Texans' practice squad on Sept. 18. Smith signed with Houston after being released by Kansas City at the end of the preseason.
A second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2019 NFL Draft, Smith had 66 receptions for 676 yards and seven touchdowns in 29 games in his first two NFL seasons. Since he missed the 2021 campaign because of a torn meniscus, Smith has 43 receptions for 297 yards and three touchdowns in 22 games. He played for the Vikings in 2022 and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023.
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