Could Breeland Speaks revive his NFL career with the Houston Texans?

Speaks is currently playing for the USFL's Michigan Panthers. He worked out with the Texans on Monday, per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.

Breeland Speaks' breakout redshirt junior season with the Ole Miss Rebels in 2017 helped increase his draft stock in the NFL. He had 67 tackles and seven sacks on his way to earning Second-Team All-SEC honors that year.

USFL has given Breeland Speaks a second lease on life 

The Kansas City Chiefs made Speaks the 46th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. In Speaks' only full NFL season, he produced 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks for Kansas City in 2018.

Regrettably, things went downhill in the NFL for Speaks in the next three years.

Speaks' injury issues and four-game suspension (which stemmed from violating the league's substance-abuse policy) took their toll on his 2019 NFL season.

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To add insult to injury, Speaks was placed back on the injured reserve list at the end of the regular season. Consequently, he never played a single down in the Chiefs' 31-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.

After the Chiefs waived Breeland Speaks prior to the 2020 NFL season, he played for the practice squads of the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills in subsequent years.

Speaks eventually signed a contract with the Michigan Panthers in December 2022. He crossed paths with Panthers head coach and former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan in the USFL.

Speaks thought the Panthers were “the perfect fit for me,” per FOX Sports. Although he hadn't played a full game in four years, he had three sacks, seven tackles, and a forced fumble in a 29-13 win over the Houston Gamblers in Week 1.

Breeland Speaks played so well from that point onward he became a candidate for USFL Defensive Player of the Year.

If the Texans release veteran defensive lineman Jerry Hughes, Speaks might squeak into Houston's training camp roster. If the latter plays in the NFL again, his comeback will make for one unforgettable redemption story, for sure.