Texans Welcomes $800 Million CB “C.J. Henderson” On A 3-Years Contract Signing…
The Texans will give C.J. Henderson a chance to bounce back. The former top-10 Jaguars pick, who played most of the past three seasons with the Panthers, is signing with the Texans, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets.
Henderson visited Texans brass Thursday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Florida alum has seen his stock dip considerably since coming off the 2020 draft board ninth overall, but he will land another opportunity.
Going from Jacksonville to Carolina early in the 2021 season — for a third-round pick and tight end Dan Arnold — Henderson could not reestablish his value with the NFC South team. The Panthers gave the 6-foot-1 cover man extensive run (22 starts) but did not see him provide an answer. Carolina initially acquired Henderson due to the first of Jaycee Horn‘s NFL injuries, later trading for Stephon Gilmore that year. Henderson again ended up being a Horn replacement, when the 2021 top-10 pick went down with a significant hamstring injury last season, but was not especially effective.
Pro Football Focus’ ratings at this position can fluctuate, partially illustrating cornerback volatility, but the advanced metrics site ranked the the ex-Gator outside the top 100 in each of the past three seasons. Henderson, 25, also allowed a passer rating north of 103 as the closest defender in each of the past three seasons. This resume points to the Texans taking a flier on a player who was once viewed as a high-end prospect.
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BREAKING: Texans sign CB C.J. Henderson
Henderson, 25, was the No. 9 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Florida, but the former Gator hasn’t lived up to that hype in his first four professional seasons.
Henderson requested a trade from the Jags after a little more than a year with the team, and he was dealt to the Carolina Panthers, where he’s played 39 games over three seasons. He recorded 39 tackles in 12 games during the 2023 campaign.
With Henderson in the fold, he joins Derek Stingley Jr., Jeff Okudah, Desmond King, Mike Ford, D’Angelo Ross and Kris Boyd in the cornerback room, but there’s still a chance the Texans select a player at the position in next month’s draft.