The Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL playoffs will put the Houston Texans to the test against none other than Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, in a game that will be a serious measuring stick for C.J. Stroud.
While the second-year quarterback led his team to a commanding win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round, there are many reasons to expect this to be a completely different kind of challenge for Houston.
Not only are the Chiefs heading into this game with their sights set on a third consecutive Super Bowl title, but Mahomes and company are also having home-field advantage after clinching the AFC’s No. 1 seed during the 2024 NFL regular season.
On top of that, DeMeco Ryans’ team has recently suffered a couple of losses on offense. Shortly after the Texans released wide receiver Diontae Johnson, Stroud lost another weapon for the game against the Chiefs with tight end Cade Stover going on Injured Reserve.
Houston Texans wide receiver Jared Wayne (14) lines up for a play during the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans on December 1, 2024.
Therefore, the Texans are promoting wide receiver Jared Wayne from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Saturday’s game. This gives Stroud another weapon for the game in Kansas City after Johnson’s departure.
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NFL News: Texans leave CJ Stroud without a weapon for playoff game against Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs
Wayne getting big chance with Stroud’s Texans ahead of Chiefs clash
Wayne, 24, joined the Texans after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Canadian wideout made three appearances this season, taking 40 snaps on Stroud’s offense along with 24 special teams reps.
Whether Wayne gets playing time on Saturday remains to be seen, but the Chiefs seem to have already prepared for a scenario where he does. Or at least that’s what their latest moves on the practice squad suggest.
Chiefs appear to react with practice squad moves
According to Matt Derrick of Chiefs Digest, Kansas City has terminated the practice squad contract of tight end Robert Tonyan to make room for wide receiver Jason Brownlee on its scout team.
As Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports notes, the former New York Jets wideout could help the Chiefs get ready for Wayne on the practice field. When the stakes are so high, every detail counts. So it makes sense to see both the Chiefs and Texans make all kinds of moves to try and increase their chances to succeed.
