The Houston Texans have signed defensive end Derek Parish to their 90-man roster, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter. This addition comes in response to the loss of defensive end Dylan Horton for the entire 2026 season due to a torn Achilles tendon.
The Texans also placed Horton and linebacker Marte Mapu on injured reserve, and the team is currently facing additional injury issues with Jadeveon Clowney and Dominique Robinson.
Derek Parish, 27, was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft but did not see any action in the NFL during his time on their practice squad. The Jaguars had listed him as a tight end.
Before his professional career, Parish played five seasons at the University of Houston, where he was utilized as both a fullback and an edge rusher. He is a native of Pearland, Texas, making his return to Houston significant.
After his stint with the Jaguars, Parish played for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and later joined the UFL's DC Defenders. In the 2026 UFL season, he participated in 10 games, accumulating 23 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks, along with a forced fumble. He also made three tackles in two postseason games.
