The Houston Texans continue to stay busy bringing in various free agents for workouts ahead of training camp
And while to this point, many of those workouts have been centered around names on the defensive side of the ball, their most recent happens to be a veteran wide receiver
According to NFL insider Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Texans have worked out former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver D.J. Turner, which came in addition to their recent workout for free agent safety Jordan Whitehead
#Texans worked out former #Raiders wide receiver D.J. Turner, former #Jets#Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead three weeks ago, per #NFLrkouts. Whitehead, who also worked out for #Colts has full medical clearance…
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) July 20, 2026
Per Wilson, he notes that there is nothing imminent in terms of a signing for either Turner or Whitehead
However, it at least hints that the Texans have a bit of lingering interest in both being a potential addition to their 90-man roster, depending on if they liked what they saw during their workouts
What D.J. Turner Brings to the Table
Turner is entering his fourth year in the NFL after spending his first four seasons with the Raiders. He first came into the league as an undrafted free agent back in 2022, having previously spent time with both Maryland and Pittsburgh upon his transition to the league
And in those first four seasons pro, Turner hasn’t been much of an impact player on the offensive end
The 5-foot-9, 205-pound receiver has played 32 games throughout four seasons, with his best year offensively coming in 2024, where he played in 12 games to post 16 receptions on 29 targets for 158 yards and a touchdown
When he hasn’t been playing on the offensive side, he’s been more of a factor on special teams. In both 2023 and 2024, he played over 330 snaps on special teams, filling in as both kick and punt returner in those seasons
He’s entering his age 29 season, and had just played one game during his most recent 2025 campaign. However, with the Texans at least bringing him in for a workout, there’s a chance that he could keep his NFL career pushing forward for another season
Why the Texans Might’ve Hosted Him for a Workout
For the Texans, it’s hard to imagine Turner finding a role anywhere on their roster outside of special teams
On their current 90-man roster, the Texans have 12 wide receivers on board, meaning that they’re not only deep when it comes to talent in the room, but they’ve also got a ton of competition to work through in training camp
If Turner wanted to find a place on this Texans roster, he’d have his work cut out for him. And his value would likely have to be centered around the impact he provides on special teams
When it comes to the Texans’ wide receiver depth chart at the top of their roster, they feel pretty complete with the guys they have in place as is
Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Jaylin Noel feel like solid bets to be their WR1 through WR3 to start the year, with the likes of Xavier Hutchinson and a healthy Tank Dell filling out the depth behind them. Sixth-round pick Lewis Bond also can’t be forgotten
And of course, that’s not even factoring in the other half-dozen names that are also a part of the Texans’ 90-man group entering camp
Bottom Line
So on the surface, the idea of Turner coming in for a workout probably isn’t much more than an exploratory visit to see what the veteran free agent has left in the tank, and best case scenario, could be someone who can compete for a practice squad spot on the 90-man roster
But anything can happen in the days before camp kicks off at the end of the month. So at the very least, keep Turner on the radar as someone the Texans could bring onboard as a late-offseason dart throw
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Published 1 hour ago
JARED KOCH
Jared Koch is the Publisher of Houston Texans On SI. He has covered the NFL and NBA with On SI since 2023, and is a graduate of Western Kentucky University
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