New England signs former Texans defender ahead of playoff matchup

The New England Patriots are going behind enemy lines to find out as much information on the Houston Texans ahead of their divisional round matchup this Sunday.

According to multiple reports, the Patriots signed former Texans defensive end Darrell Taylor to the practice squad on Wednesday. Taylor, who was released ahead of Monday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, is expected to compete for a spot on the team and could be elevated to the active roster ahead of Sunday's matchup at Gillette Stadium.

A former 2020 second-round pick, Taylor has spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears and Texans. His best season came with Seattle in 2022, where he posted 9.5 sacks and forced four fumbles along with 26 total tackles as a situational pass-rusher.

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After signing a one-year deal this offseason with Houston, Taylor played in just four games, recording four tackles and zero sacks. He also missed nearly two months of action with a lower-body injury that landed him on the injured reserve.

New England already features a prominent duo coming off the edge in Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson, along with solid depth in Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder. The Patriots could be adding Taylor as insurance while also having a player with inside knowledge on how to attack C.J. Stroud and the Texans' offense amid a winner-take-all showdown.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN and ABC.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: Patriots sign former DE Darell Taylor ahead of playoff game.