HOUSTON – Texans wide receiver Jared Wayne is being elevated to the active roster from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, per a league source.
The Texans need reinforcements at wide receiver with Pro Bowl selection Nico Collins in the NFL concussion protocol after banging his head on the artificial turf Monday night in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Plus, wide receiver Christian Kirk is dealing with a hamstring injury suffered last Thursday in practice.
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Wayne, 24 is a Canada native and former undrafted free agent from Pitt who has made strides in his game, especially his ability to create separation on deeper routes. He drew praise from coach DeMeco Ryans this offseason and made some good plays at training camp.
He appeared in three games last season with no statistics registered, playing 40 snaps on offense and 24 snaps on special teams after being elevated from the practice squad. He was targeted twice in a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs with no catches as he played 24 snaps on offense and 10 snaps on special teams.
Wayne is an Ontario, Canada native drafted in the second round by the Toronto Argonauts. He’s 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, has posted a 42-inch vertical leap and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds.
Wayne caught 60 passes for 1,062 yards and five touchdowns in his final season at Pitt as a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. He caught 11 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns against Miami, finishing his career with 146 career receptions for 2,308 yards.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com