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The Houston Texans are looking to make it back-to-back wins when they host the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon. The clash between two of the league's most dismal franchises doesn't offer much intrigue, but one notable talking point will be the absence of a marquee Texans' defender.
According to MySportsUpdate's Ari Meirov, Texans starting safety Justin Reid is inactive for the Week 12 matchup. Meirov reports that Reid will hit the bench for disciplinary reasons, noting that the 29-year-old is not dealing with an injury.
#Texans starting safety Justin Reid is a healthy scratch today vs. the #Jets for disciplinary reasons. Worth noting that he is slated to be a free agent after the season.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 28, 2021
Reid has featured in nine games for the Texans this year, starting all of them. He's recorded two interceptions, 42 tackles, four pass defenses, and one forced fumble. The defenseman was drafted by the Texans in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Stanford and has been a mainstay in the secondary ever since.
ESPN's Ryan Clark added that Reid's benching isn't related to his performance on the field. Rather, the safety reportedly had a disagreement with the coaching staff, and head coach David Culley was the one who ultimately decided on Reid's punishment.
The @HoustonTexans’ starting safety @JustinqReid will be a healthy scratch today. Sources tell me it isn’t performance related. Coaching staff & Reid had a disagreement recently. That disagreement resulted in the Texans deciding to bench one of their best players! Seems petty pic.twitter.com/WIF4UHZBO8
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) November 28, 2021
Jets quarterback Zach Wilson's job just got a bit easier, and he hasn't even stepped out onto the field yet. With Reid sidelined for this one, the Texans may look to A.J. Moore Jr. to see an increased role. Moore, a fourth-year veteran out of Mississippi, has five tackles and one forced fumble in 2021. He has featured mostly on special teams for the Texans this year but could be called upon for a good portion of the defensive snaps this week.
