Ryans says Texans will keep building on Jaylin Noel's growing role

The second-year wide receiver stayed busy on special teams and produced a big play against Cincinnati, but his offensive workload stayed small.

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans addressed questions about wide receiver Jaylin Noel's small offensive workload following the team's defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even with Nico Collins unavailable, Noel ran only 14 routes in the game and caught one pass for 31 yards on five targets. Rookie Lewis Bond, elevated from the practice squad, ran more routes than Noel by the end of the contest.

Noel stayed involved on special teams, taking one kickoff back 31 yards and averaging 10.7 yards on three punt returns. It was the second straight week in which his lone catch qualified as an explosive play while his route participation stayed low.

Ryans pointed to areas of growth in Noel's game. "'J-Noel' got one big explosive on the pass, did another good job on the jet sweep," he said, adding that Noel improved as a punt returner and took a significant step forward against Cincinnati. The coach said the staff will keep watching how his role develops from what he has shown.

The receiver, chosen by Houston in the third round of the 2025 draft, caught 26 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. A larger role had been anticipated this season, particularly after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL and was ruled out for the year, but that has yet to materialize through two games.

Ryans explained that receiver usage depends on packages and how each game flows, and said the team needs to find ways to distribute the ball and generate offense regardless of who is targeted. The Texans host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at noon.