Texans Bring Back S M.J. Stewart on One-Year Deal
HOUSTON, TX - NOVEMBER 09: Safety M.J. Stewart #29 of the Houston Texans runs onto the field as he is announced as a starter before the NFL football game between Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars on November 9, 2025, at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Houston Texans' moves just keep on coming on the eve of the NFL's free agency tampering period. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and KPRC2's Aaron Wilson have reported that S M.J. Stewart is re-signing with the Houston Texans to a one-year deal:
The Texans plan to re-sign safety M.J. Stewart to a one-year deal, per source.
- Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 6, 2026
The eight-year vet had 25 tackles and two pass deflections in nine games (four starts). pic.twitter.com/yepxzDqlXn
#Texans to sign safety M.J. Stewart to one-year contract, per a league source. Making sound recovery from torn quadriceps tendon @KPRC2
- Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 6, 2026
Stewart, 30, earned starting time as a safety for the Houston Texans in 2025 after C.J. Gardner-Johnson was released. Stewart started 4 games, appeared in 9 games total, and played heavily from week 4 onward until he tore his quadriceps tendon in week 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This extension is evidence that Stewart must be recovering well from the injury. Before his injury, Stewart tallied:
- 25 Tackles
- 2 Pass Deflections
- 1 Forced Fumbles
- 49.4 PFF (79.5 RDEF, 63.0 TACK, 56.2 PRSH, 42.4 COV)
M.J. Stewart rips the ball out and Houston takes possession
- NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2025
HOUvsSEA on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/pCDqZ6Yu5a
In his run as a starter, M.J. Stewart was decent, yet unspectacular and occasionally prone to being caught in bad positions in coverage. Despite that, Stewart is plenty fast enough to keep up with the rest of the Texans' defense, and a reliable tackler. He's been with the Texans since 2022, now signing his fourth contract with Houston as primarily a reserve DB and special teams player. He's appeared in a total of 49 games for the Texans in that span (5 starts), finding the most success as a run-defending safety that plays a handful of snaps each game. Re-signing him may not seem like the most thrilling decision on paper, but Stewart's veteran presence on the defense is clearly something Nick Caserio and the Texans value enough to keep him around for another year.
What do you think, though? Are the Texans right to bring back M.J. Stewart, or should they have looked for depth at DB elsewhere? Personally, I'm happy to see some veteran presence return to the safety spot - where injuries at that position in particular nearly tore Houston's vaunted defense apart down the stretch. I was happy overall with the interim performances of CB/S Myles Bryant, S Jalen Mills, and S K'Von Wallace, but I think Stewart will provide the most security at the position of all options. Either way, I still believe it's a position they could target in the draft this April. Let us know how'd you like the Texans to tackle the safety spot this offseason in the comments below!
GO TEXANS!!!!
