Houston Texans running back Jawhar Jordan took full advantage of his opportunity in Week 15. The practice squad call-up has since been signed to the active 53-man roster. Jordan should continue being a legitimate contributor to a surging offense down the stretch here.
Jordan was called up to provide gameday depth because veteran ball-carrier Nick Chubb was out with a ribs injury. Well, Jordan got called into action when Woody Marks exited Sunday's 40-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals with an ankle injury. The former Louisville standout maximized his carries.
Jordan rushed for 101 yards via 15 carries. He averaged an effective 6.7 yards per attempt. Jordan even added 17 receiving yards to his offensive totals via two receptions. All he needed was an opportunity.
Jordan gained an explosive 50 yards on his biggest carry. He took a backfield pitch from C.J. Stroud in play-action to the outside before cutting back inside, evading several tacklers near the line of scrimmage before busting into open space. It was the Texans' longest run of the campaign.
Jawhar Jordan goes 50 yards in his first NFL game 💪
— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2025
AZvsHOU on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2oNLkO4cxB
Jordan's 101 rushing yards were fourth-most among all running backs across Week 15, trailing just TreVeyon Henderson (148), James Cook (107), and Tony Pollard (104). He was also third in rushing yards over expected (RYOE) with 46, according to Next Gen Stats. Jordan averaged 3.04 yards over expected per attempt.
The Texans' offense had an EPA per play of 0.11 when Jordan carried the football, per RBSDM. Jordan's overall EPA contribution was a positive 1.7. That's better than what both fellow running backs, Marks (-0.7) and Dare Ogunbowale (-2.1), produced in EPA as ball-carriers. They graded out negatively by comparison.
Jordan was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round (No. 205) of the 2024 NFL Draft. The ex-Syracuse and Louisville running back has spent his entire career on and off the practice squad, limited to signing reserves/future contracts. Sunday actually represented Jordan's NFL debut. His 50-yard run was the longest in franchise history for a player making their debut.
The Texans haven't run the football with much consistency this season. Even after Jordan's dynamic performance, the Texans rank 23rd in rushing with an average of 108.4 ground yards per game. Incorporating Jordan more frequently on offense could help.
Signing Jordan to the active roster will provide more depth and insurance. As exciting as Marks has been as a rookie ball-carrier, he's been playing through minor setbacks all campaign long. Meanwhile, the aging Chubb (he'll turn 30 on December 27) obviously has a declining skill set. Jordan adds another layer of big-play ability to Nick Caley's offense.
Jordan arguably wrote the most heartwarming story in Week 15. His NFL debut, 1.5 seasons in the making, went more than swimmingly. Jordan was dynamic and explosive with shiftiness and vision. The Texans should ensure he remains involved.