The Houston Texans are giving an ex-New York Jets cornerback another shot to chase his NFL dream, as the Texans announced on their X account that they would be signing free agent cornerback Bryce Hall.
Hall, who spent the first four years of his career in New York and was a member of ex-general manager Joe Douglas' first draft class, is back in the league after sitting out the 2025 season.
Hall finds himself on one of the league's best defenses and has an uphill climb to carve out a role on the Texans' 53-man roster.
But he's been counted out throughout his football career several times before, and if there's anyone who can pull off this type of comeback, it's "the Hall Monitor."
It was reported last week by KPRC2's Aaron Wilson that the Houston Texans had hosted the ex-New York Jets cornerback for a workout, but they did not seem ready to sign him quite yet.
Hall did not play in the NFL in 2025; he spent training camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but did not manage to stick on the 53-man roster.
He most recently spent time as a member of the UFL's Louisville Kings , where Hall appeared in eight games and recorded eight tackles, one pass breakup, and one interception that he returned for an 86-yard touchdown.
Clearly, the Texans liked what they saw on his most recent tape and decided the 28-year-old still has something to give on the football field.
Hall will be competing with the likes of Jaylin Smith, Tremon Smith, Collin Wright, and Stephen Hall for reps behind starters Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.
Before the New York Jets made Hall the 158th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he was widely considered one of the top cornerback prospects in the entire class.
But during his senior season at Virginia, a serious ankle injury prematurely ended his collegiate career and dealt a major blow to his draft stock.
Still, that didn't stop talent evaluators from considering him a potential starter before his transition to the league.
"While he isn't a universal scheme fit, Hall profiles as a plus starter in the right role and his ability to make game-changing plays on the football certainly increase his appeal. Hall is an extremely competitive football player that also has exceptional football character," wrote The Draft Network's Joe Marino ahead of the 2020 draft.
"He should be a team leader and well-respected for his character and efforts in the community given his resume at Virginia. It would not surprise me to see Hall start early in his career, but definitely by Year 2/3."
The Jets, in then-general manager Douglas' first draft, were able to nab him in the fifth round.
Hall's NFL debut would have to wait until November of the 2020 season as he recovered from his ankle injury. His first taste of action would come against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, the infamous game that cost the Jets the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Hall recorded an interception off Jared Goff, a play that would ultimately help seal the deal against Los Angeles.
The former Virginia standout would start all 17 games for the Jets the following season, before eventually falling behind Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed on the depth chart.
From 2022 to 2023, Hall would only appear in 14 games, starting two at cornerback.
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