Soon, the Houston Texans will have another former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back in the mix.
On Sunday, it was reported that Jalen Mills will be joining the Texans. The decision to ink the veteran safety comes not long after it was revealed that another ex-Eagle, CJ Gardner-Johnson, suffered a knee injury.
via @Schultz_Report: Sources: The #Texans are signing veteran DB Jalen Mills (@AdamSchefter first). Mills is going into his 10th season having played for the Eagles, Patriots and Jets. He has 91 career starts and 8 INTs.
Sources: The #Texans are signing veteran DB Jalen Mills (@AdamSchefter first). Mills is going into his 10th season having played for the Eagles, Patriots and Jets. He has 91 career starts and 8 INTs. pic.twitter.com/9rapUGXX8W
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 10, 2025
Back in 2016, the Eagles scooped up Mills out of LSU. He was the 233rd overall selection in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The Eagles quickly figured out that Mills could contribute at the cornerback position.
Although Mills started just two games as a rookie with the Eagles, he played in all 16 games. As a rookie, Mills combined 62 tackles and had seven pass deflections.
Based on what he put on display during his rookie effort, Mills became a full-time starter during the 2017 NFL season. Mills appeared in 15 games and showed plenty of positive progress compared to his rookie effort.
The young veteran racked up 64 tackles, one of which was for a loss. He also had 14 pass deflections, along with three interceptions. Both remain his career-highs at this stage of his career.
In 2017, Mills was a starter for the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning squad. In three playoff games, he accounted for 13 tackles and five pass deflections.
After the first five years of his career, Mills moved on from the Eagles. He signed a four-year deal with the New England Patriots ahead of the 2022 NFL season. The veteran defensive back played in New England for three years. During his final season, he started in just half of the matchups he played.
Last year, Mills anticipated a run with the New York Giants, but he was released in August. Last September, the former Eagle signed with the New York Jets’ practice squad and was promoted to the active roster one month later. With the Jets, Mills produced 44 tackles, six pass deflections, and one interception. He suffered an injury in December, which ended his season prematurely.
Just a few months after the Eagles cut ties with CJ Gardner-Johnson by sending him to the Texans, the star safety went down with a knee injury in practice last week. Initially, reports weren’t optimistic, but Gardner-Johnson is expected to be back on the field at some point this year.
For the time being, Mills will get a chance to carve out a role for himself.
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