Source: British Brooks broke hand, had surgery

Texans running back and special-teams ace British Brooks broke his hand during practice and underwent surgery, according to a league source.

Brooks is expected back in three weeks.

Heading into his third season with the Texans, Brooks is a former undrafted free agent at North Carolina.

He's a hammer on special teams.

Brooks is down to 222 pounds and could still fit into the equation as a reserve running back once he's healthy again.

Jawhar Jordan is unchallenged basically as the third running back.

The Texans recently worked out running backs Alexander Mattison and Hassan Haskins, but didn't immediately sign them.

Source: Texans working out punter Jack Browning

The Texans made a decision this offseason to not retain former All-Pro punter Tommy Townsend.

They traded for New Orleans Saints punter Kai Kroeger and signed former Syracuse standout punter Jack Stonehouse.

Kroeger has had a few rough practices and Stonehouse, who has a stronger leg, is adjusting to directional punting.

The Texans are working out former Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter Jack Browning on Thursday along with former Connecticut kicker Chris Freeman, per league sources.

Browning led the United Football League in all major punting statistics this season.

He played in five games for the Buccaneers in 2024. He has previous stints with the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens.

Freeman could help the Texans by giving regular kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn a rest during the preseason.

Freeman participated in the Texans' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.

He made 20 of 23 field goals last season and hit every extra point for Connecticut and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza award.

Fairbairn made two field goals from beyond 60 yards.

Lewis Bond: 'camp riser, making name for himself'

Texans rookie wide receiver Lewis Bond has delivered a series of highlight catches at training camp.

A sixth-round draft pick who played for former Texans coach Bill O’Brien at Boston College, Bond has made a series of big plays. He has displayed outstanding route running skills and hands.

"Lewis has come in and he's made a lot of wild plays," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Going back to rookie minicamp, OTAs, Lewis is a guy who stood out, making a lot of great catches, a lot of third-down wins. He made a nice one-on-one play yesterday, making a nice overhead catch. He's doing a really good job.

"I’m excited to see him continue to flourish. He is one of those camp risers this year that's really showcasing his talent and making a name for himself. We'll see how he continues to grow but I'm excited with what I've seen so far just like you guys. I have a lot of scouts here.”

Bond is the Boston College all-time leader in school history for catches. He caught 88 passes for 993 yards and one touchdown last season.

“Really smart, really instinctive, good ball skills, finds a way to get open, very productive with his opportunities,” Texans general manager Nick Caserio said. “I know that it was a player that coach [Ben] McDaniels spent time with in the spring on the Zoom. He said it was one of the smartest players that he ever talked to as a part of this process and you see that in his play.

“Very dependable. He’s in the right spot. Good football player. I would say he has football player traits. You might look at the card and the measurables and say he’s a little slower, a little shorter, but he produced consecutively for multiple years. Obviously played in an NFL-style offense, and coach O’Brien’s system, some of things will carry over. Some of the things will be different. You saw a lot of good things on tape.”

Bond was mentored by Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers.

“He’s kind of been like an older brother to me,” Bond said. “I really take his advice to heart. He showed me what it takes to be where I want to be.”

Bond (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds and had a 35-inch vertical leap and a 10-3 broad jump and bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times.

Now, he’s in the NFL.

“There’s a jump in talent,” Bond said. “Maybe the speed of the game, maybe recognizing coverages. You need a little period of time to get adjusted to football on the next level.”

Manvel grad Collin Wright turns heads at Texans camp

Stanford corner Collin Wright joined the Texans after the Missouri City native worked out for them at their local prospect day. The Manvel graduate was a three-time all-state and all-district selection.

He signed a three-year, $3.125 million contract that includes $262,500 guaranteed with a $20,000 signing bonus and $242,500 of his base salary guaranteed.

Now, the former Stanford defensive captain is excelling at training camp.

He has been a constant presence, applying tight coverage. If he doesn't make the 53-man roster, Wright is a strong candidate for the practice squad.

“Collin is one of the rookies who's showing up almost every day," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He finds a way to get his hands on the ball in some type of fashion. Whether he's picking the ball, whether he's playing sticky coverage and attacking the ball, getting pass break-ups. He's done a really great job of always showing that capability of being attached to the football and that's a good quality to have as a corner. He's done a really good job.”

At Stanford, Wright was a defensive captain who had 33 tackles and one interception last season. He returned it for a touchdown against Boston College. He was an all-academic selection.

"Collin is a dog," Texans All-Pro corner Derek Stingley Jr. said. "At some point during practice, he's either going to get a pick or he's almost going to get a pick. He does it every day. He did it during the spring. He's doing it now. He just keeps on growing."

Texans officially sign Montrell Washington

The Texans officially signed former Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos wide receiver Montrell Washington after a successful workout.

Washington is a former Broncos fifth-round draft pick from Samford.

He played for the Chiefs, earning a Super Bowl ring.

He was with the New York Giants last season and the D.C. Defenders this year in the United Football League

Washington has played in 22 career games. He has 40 punt returns, averaging 8.3 yards, and 20 kickoff returns for 18.7 yards per return.

With the Broncos as a rookie, he had four catches for two yards and five runs for 30 yards.

He's primarily being added as a return candidate.

The Texans released reserve defensive tackle Junior Tafuna, who was on their practice squad last season.

NOTES: Backup defensive ends Dylan Horton and Solomon Byrd recorded sacks. ... Linebacker Henry To'oTo'o intercepted a Davis Mills pass that was intended for rookie tight end Marlin Klein. ... Logan Hall represents a tough blocking assignment. Recovered from groin and knee tendonitis issues from the spring, the former University of Houston and Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman is busting throug hteh pocket. “Logan is a very versatile player," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "We started playing him inside a lot and he's done that most of his career down in Tampa. He’s a productive player, really slippery for a big man inside. He finds a way to make a lot of tackles for loss. He's so long in the inside, it's hard to get by him, so he provides a lot of versatility for us up and down the defensive line. All those guys, every guy has something they do well. We'll continue to put those guys in different spots to find what's the best fronts we can be in and we'll deploy those guys to go get after the quarterback.” ... Ryans explained why the Texans are enforcing a policy of not allowing fans to shoot videos and photos during full-team drills. Previously, that was allowed and some fans posted lengthy videos of plays. The reason is to not allow other teams to potentially see the Texans' plays. “It's important to protect the team, not just videos, but for us and how we operate as a team," Ryans said. "My main message is always, it's about the team first. When it comes to the videos and things that are posted, we know that everyone who has a phone is media. We don't want our plays getting out so other teams can study what we're doing here in Training Camp. A lot of teams do this around the league. It's all about the team. If you're a true Texans fan and you want to see the Texans succeed, you wouldn’t showcase our plays to teams who don't know what we're running.” ...Undrafted offensive lineman Sam Hagen, signed to a deal that included $195,000 guaranteed, has been solid throughout training camp. "Sam has done a great job," Ryans said. "We've moved Sam around from guard to tackle. He's played both spots and he's done a good job competing. I’m excited to see him go play in the games. Overall, Sam has come in, he's worked hard every single day, doing everything we asked him to do.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL insider for KPRC 2 and Sports Talk 790. He also has a YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AaronWilsonSport