10 hours ago
72 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.72?
The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast.
Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has won No. 72 since the inaugural season in 2002.
Texans players to wear No. 72
No. 72 currently belongs to offensive lineman Jaylon Thomas, who should be in line to maintain his role as one of the top names on the practice squad who could get called up midseason. Last year, he was waived due to injury but the returned to the roster on the season-ending injured reserve after goining unclaimed.
Through the early stages of training camp and OTAs, Thomas should compete for a job in terms of depth at either tackle spot, but no one expects him to start Week 1 when the Texans travel out west to take on the Los Angeles Rams. And since he's only played in one game for Houston on Sundays, it's hard to consider him the G.O.A.T. in No. 72.
Best Player: Derek Newton
What could have been with the great right tackle?
After replacing Eric Winston in 2012, Newton became a stable option in run blocking during the days of the Arian Foster era. He started three straight seasons, helping Houston reach the postseason twice before inking a long-term, five-year, $26.5 million contract ahead of the 2015.
Sadly, he'd never live up to the standard of the deal because of injury. On October 24, 2016, Newton needed to be carted off during the first half of Week 7's game against the Denver Broncos with air casts attached to both legs. It was eventually revealed that both patellar tendons were torn, effectively ending his 2016 season. While he tried to come back in 2017, Newtwon was never able to recover physically, thus leading to his release in 2018.
Newton's career was cut short due to a horrific injury in Houston, but he still remains one of the team's best right tackles over the last 12 seasons.
