The new Houston Texans safety, Reed Blankenship, is ready to join what is a star-studded defense.
Blankenship signed a three-year, $24.75 million contract with the Texans in free agency earlier this month.
At his introductory press conference last week, Blankenship, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles, said he intends to bring his leadership to a defense that was tops in the league last season.
“From the outside looking in, especially playing in Philly, I was fortunate enough to be on a few really good defenses,” he said, according to a transcript from Texans Wire.
“Sitting back and watching Houston fly around at times, I’m like, ‘Dang, this defense is legit.’ Fast forward to being able to play for [Houston] now, it’s crazy that a team like that wants me to come in and to perform at a high level. It speaks volumes.”
Blankenship went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2022 and won a roster spot as a backup safety. He appeared in 10 games with four starts and put up 34 total tackles, two passes defended, and an interception. That year, the Eagles’ defense ranked second in the NFL in yards allowed per game and tied for seventh in points allowed, and appeared in Super Bowl LVII but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.
He won the starting free safety job in 2023 and started 15 games; he racked up 113 total tackles with two tackles for loss, 11 pass defenses, three interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Unfortunately, the Eagles’ defense fell off significantly, finishing the 2023 season ranked 26th in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed.
His play earned him a contract extension in 2024. Again, he started 15 games, accumulating 78 tackles, six passes defended, four picks, and a fumble recovery. The Eagles’ defense led the league in yards allowed and ranked second in scoring; they rode this defense and their potent rushing attack to a victory in Super Bowl LIX.
In 2025, he had 83 total tackles, a tackle for loss, four pass defenses, an interception, a forced fumble, and a recovery in 16 games. But the defense as a whole performed sporadically, finishing 13th in yardage but 5th in scoring.
Blankenship joins a Texans secondary that was tops in the league last year in yardage and second in scoring. And while both the Eagles and Texans have young secondaries, the Texans are loaded with star power. Starting cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. won both First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl Selections in 2024 and 2025. His counterpart, Kamari Lassiter, also made the Pro Bowl in 2025, as did safety Calen Bullock. Safeties Jaylen Reed and M.J. Stewart, and hybrid safety/nickel defender Jalen Pitre were also valuable contributors to the league-leading defense.
“[T]hey’re already a really talented group,” he said.
“I want to come in and contribute as much as I can. But there shouldn’t be any fall off. That’s my mindset. There should not be any fall off. If anything, like I said before, there should be a sense of calmness. There’s going to be another communicator in the back end.
“I feel like the sky’s the limit for this secondary, for sure. I know all these guys are bought in. Why wouldn’t you want to be? They all want to win. We have a winning mindset. I can already feel that in the building. I’m super excited to get to work with these guys and really start to build relationships with them.”
Despite having the fewest individual accolades, Blankenship wants to establish himself as a glue guy and enforcer in the back end.
“I feel like with me coming into this defense, I feel like I can give everybody a sense of calmness,” he said.
“That’s part of my game. I want to be the communicator out there. I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes at all, but I want everybody just to play free. Play free, have fun, and at the end of the day, just go and hit dudes. That’s just part of defense.
“I’ve always been coached like an old-school type coach. I’ve been born and raised to go run and hit dudes for a living. I feel like this is a great fit. I know there’s a bunch of dawgs in the secondary, linebackers, defensive line, everywhere. I’m super, super excited, super stoked for this.”
