After the Houston Texans suffered a heartbreaking home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that ended with Matt Ammendola’s missed field goal that sent the game into OT (and was subsequently waived by the team), the youngest franchise leagues have started making some changes…
Some were forced, such as the need to find a replacement for key offensive lineman and former first-round pick Titus Howard, who was ruled out for the rest of the season earlier Wednesday.
Now, the Texans have decided to make a change at another key position, this time for a face that will be familiar to NFL fans, especially another AFC South rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars — running back Jordan Schultz.
Why did the Houston Texans cut Shaquille Griffin?
Shaquille Griffin, after being drafted in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, has greatly outplayed his draft status. He became a full-time player in 2018, where he was later reunited with his brother Shaquem Griffin, who made headlines at the time for his unusual and highly impressive play situation.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2019 and signed a 3-year, $45 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, opting out in March 2023 at the end of the 2022 season. So, with the fortune of being a free agent for the Houston Texans, why would they let go of a player of his caliber on a 1-year, $3.5 million deal?
Well, on the one hand, Shaquille Griffin failed to make good on his bid and take the #2 outside cornerback spot from Steven Nelson to play against former #3 overall pick in 2022, Derek Stingley Jr. In fact, things have gotten so scary for Griffin that the Week 12 loss to his former team, the Jaguars, was the second straight game in which he didn’t play a snap on defense.
Needless to say, it was pretty clear that Griffin’s services were no longer needed, and so the Texans promoted another former Pro Bowler, Desmond King, from the practice squad to replace him.
Shaquille Griffin will now go on waivers, where we’ll wait and see if there’s a team that feels they can still get quality play from the 28-year-old veteran, who should theoretically be in his prime.
