Texans Officially Sign Two, Place LB K.C. Ossai On IR

The Texans announced they have officially signed wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones on Saturday.

The team also placed LB K.C. Ossai on injured reserve.

Shepard, 33, is a former second-round pick of the Giants back in 2016. He was entering the final year of his four-year, $5.944 million rookie contract when he agreed to a four-year, $41 million extension that includes $21.3 million guaranteed. 

Shepard was set to make base salaries of $8.475 and $9.475 million in the final two years of his deal; however, the two sides agreed to a reworked deal that made him a free agent in 2023.

The Giants opted to bring him back on a one-year deal in 2023. After playing out that deal, he signed on with the Buccaneers this past summer. He was among the final roster cuts coming out of training camp before re-signing to the practice squad.

From there, the Buccaneers brought Shepard back on a one-year deal for the 2025 season. 

In 2025, Shepard appeared in 13 games for the Buccaneers and caught 39 passes for 371 yards receiving and one touchdown.

Jones, 31, is a former second-round pick of the Bills back in 2017. He was in the third year of his four-year, $6.77 million contract that includes $4.3 million guaranteed when Buffalo traded him to the Raiders in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick. 

Jones made a base salary of $1.33 million in the final year of his deal and was testing the market as an unrestricted free agent before the Raiders opted to re-sign him.

From there, the Jaguars signed Jones to a three-year, $24 million contract back in 2022. He was entering the final year of that deal when the Jaguars released him. 

The Cardinals signed Jones to a contract in 2024, then re-signed him on a one-year, $4.4 million deal for 2025.

In 2025, Jones appeared in eight games for the Cardinals and caught 12 passes for 183 yards.