Texans Linebacker Receives Honest Admission on Roster Chances

The Houston Texans are getting set for the preseason stretch run. They need to settle a few positions in regard to backup depth. One position the Texans need to figure out is the linebacker position. The Texans have a great starting lineup at linebacker with Henry To'oTo'o and Azeez Al-Shaair. The questions begin after the starters. Injuries like E.J. Speed have necessitated that others step into key depth roles. Now they need to figure out who will fill the depth behind their top players. Jared Koch of Houston Texans on SI discussed a few players battling for a roster spot. Koch noted that one linebacker had found his way onto the Texans' preseason Week 1 depth chart in Jamal Hill. Here's some of what he had to say on Hill's presence on the preseason roster. "The Texans' linebacker position still feels extremely wide open, with a verdict to be determined in the next couple of weeks, rather than being one that's been sorted out by the first preseason games. However, there is one player who might be falling behind in the race at the position, and that's fourth-year linebacker Jamal Hill, who fell into fourth string on Houston's depth chart. This could very well be considered a make-or-break camp and preseason for Hill. He's by no means a roster lock and is in a linebacker room that's some of the most wide-open it's been since his arrival three years ago. He entered late July as someone who could be one of the biggest risers, or one of the biggest fallers, and seems to be leaning towards the latter side of that right now." Jun 10, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Jamal Hill participates in a drill during the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Nobody expects Hil to star for the Texans in the event he has to replace one of To'oTo'o or Al-Shaair, but Houston fans would welcome him developing into an above average backup linebacker. For now, he still has plenty to prove. The current trend is downward according to Koch, but the opportunity is still there to climb the depth chart. It's incumbent on Hill to seize the moment and take hold of a readymade roster spot for a surprise linebacker. The Texans defense is elite, but the defense needs its backups to provide the necessary insurance to safeguard against a falloff in the event of an injury. Whether or not Hill is the player to provide that insurance is still to be seen. Hill will hope to prove himself over the course of the preseason.