The Houston Texans have signed free-agent cornerback and former All-Pro Desmond King to their practice squad.  Waived by the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this season, the veteran corner was a key contributor to the Texans backfield in 2021 and 2022. The reunion was reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

King's best season came in 2018 with the team that originally drafted him, the Los Angeles Chargers. That year, King compiled 47 solo tackles, three interceptions, and a touchdown, earning him All-Pro honors as a cornerback while also getting a second-team All-Pro nod as a punt returner.

King was ultimately traded to the Tennessee Titans for a sixth-round pick until he joined the Texans as a free agent.  The twenty-eight-year-old started 33 games across two seasons for the Texans in his first stint with the team, notching five interceptions while specializing as a punt returner. His 93 tackles for the Texans in 2021 marked a career-high and earned him a two-year contract extension. King started all 17 games for a 2022 Texans team that finished a disappointing 3-13-1.

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While it remains to be seen whether King will be elevated as soon as the season's upcoming Week 12, he could add a veteran presence to Houston's struggling secondary. The Texans have allowed 2,414 passing yards this season, ninth most in the NFL. The group's seven interceptions, meanwhile, are fewer than just four other teams in the league. Houston's practice squad already includes cornerback Kris Boyd, as well as safeties Brady Breeze and Brandon Hill.

Twenty-eight-year-old King was Los Angeles' fifth-round pick (151 overall) in the 2018 NFL Draft.