HOUSTON – When the Texans needed reinforcements at safety, they worked out veteran Jalen Mills.
They were already missing safety Jimmie Ward on the physically unable to perform list after offseason foot surgery, plus legal problems.
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When they lost starter C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a knee injury that has him sidelined indefinitely and not for the entire season, they made the move to sign Mills. Plus, rookie safety Jaylen Reed is recovering from a mild knee sprain, per sources.
There’s a familiarity for Mills with coach DeMeco Ryans’ defensive scheme having playing for Robert Saleh, Ryans’ former San Francisco 49ers colleague, with the New York Jets last season.
Mills overlapped with Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke with the Philadelphia Eagles where he was a starter, died his hair green and got the nickname he still uses: Green Goblin.
“Going good, man,” Mills told KPRC 2. “Familiar with some of the guys on the staff, for sure, system as well coming from the Jets last year. It’s a little carryover here. Coaching, they’re doing a great job with, you know extra meetings and different things like that,
“Teaching me a little bit of nuances in the defense and, of course, the calls as well. At the end of the day, football is football. You know, it’s really just more about the communication, getting lined up and playing fast.”
Ryans communicated with Mills and they were already speaking the same language: What’s understood doesn’t need to be explained.
There was an expectation that Mills would know what Saleh already has taught.
“He didn’t say it to me, but they have high expectations,” Mills said. “The calls is the calls. You’ve got to be profession. You’ve got to know the calls.”
He played last season for the New York Giants and New York Jets.
He won a Super Bowl with the Eagles, the team that drafted him in the seventh round, and then played three seasons for the New England Patriots.
A former first-team All-American at LSU, Mills has recorded 450 career tackles and eight interceptions.
Mills played in nine games with one start last season for the Jets. He had 44 tackles and six passes defensed.
Mills (6-foot, 200 pounds) had some big hits and crisp tackles in his debut with the Texans against the Carolina Panthers. He’s entering his 10th season in the NFL and is known for his active, intense style.
“Definitely high energy for sure,” Mills said. “Being around the game, knowing situational ball with a lot of young guys, helping them in certain situations. Just being able to talk ball with them, whatever the situation may be, just doing that vision.”
A Dallas native, Mills has played his entire career in the Northeast. Now, he’s back in Texas where he played his high school football at DeSoto.
“I’ve been in the Northeast my whole career,” Mills said. “I’m kind of happy now I’m in the South, close to my family being from Dallas.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com