DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Getty
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Houston Texans have been pegged as a team to watch for a defensive tackle help in the 2026 draft, and their room officially got thinner with the latest news on former International Player Pathway program find Haggai Ndubuisi.
Ndubuisi remains a project, even heading into his fifth NFL season.
Ndubuisi’s latest move comes after the Texans made their final decision, setting the gears in motion.
Ex-Texans DT Joins Buccaneers After Release
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans takes the field before the AFC Divisional Playoffs against the New England Patriots.
Ndubuisi’s tenure under head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Texans lasted one season, as he will head back to the NFC.
“One more signing from Bucs’ workout today: former Texans defensive tackle Haggai Ndubuisi,” Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported in a post on X on April 9. “Born in Nigeria, played one game for Texans last year. Only 25, no college football. Could end up as Bucs’ International Pathway Program player.”
The Buccaners are Ndubuisi’s sixth team.
Ndubuisi, who turns 26 in October, began his career with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He has also had stints with the Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders.
Despite all of the movement, Ndubuisi has appeared in one regular-season contest in his career so far. That was his appearance with the Texans, in Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ndubuisi, who also spent time with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas, flashed in the preseason.
Notably, the Texans signed former Buccaneers defensive lineman Logan Hall in free agency this offseason. He figures to have a larger role for the Texans than Ndubuisi, though, splitting time between tackle and end.
International Player Pathway Program Explained
Cary McNair, Houston Texans
GettyThe Texans looked to capitalize on the International Player Pathway program
The Texans, like Ndubuisi’s other teams, were searching for the next Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who has become one of the best left tackles in the NFL with the 2024 Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
“Established in 2017, the IPP program identifies elite global talent with the aim of providing selected athletes with the opportunity to improve and develop their skills and ultimately earn a spot on an NFL roster,” the program’s official website reads. “Historically, it has welcomed athletes from a range of sporting backgrounds, including rugby, basketball, Gaelic football, track and field and more.”
There is an added incentive for teams to explore prospects coming up through the IPP, too.
“Each NFL club is permitted one roster exemption for a qualifying international player from the start of the club’s offseason program through the roster reduction to 53 players,” the site says. “At that time, qualifying international players are eligible to be signed to a 17th practice squad roster spot reserved for international athletes across any of the 32 teams.”
The Texans released Ndubuisi in January, but this decision means he is officially off the market for now.
Haggai Ndubisi ‘Grateful’ to be in NFL
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans reacts against the San Francisco 49ers.
“I just want to be grateful for the opportunity, and it’s a gradual process and we have a lot to work on,” Ndubuisi told KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson in August 2025. “A lot of things to plan and I’m just grateful that I got the opportunity to get a sack, so I’ll just keep working.”
Ndubuisi remarked about the learning curve of coming to the NFL with limited exposure to organized football.
“It’s pretty tough being an international player because there’s a lot to learn and so many formations all at once, but with the right coaching and the right system and being coachable, everything comes to play,” Ndubuisi said, per Wilson. “There’s a lot of opportunity to better yourself, to develop self-development and awareness in terms of football-wise and outside-wise, culture and everything, so there’s so many things to learn.”
Listed at 6-foot-6 and 298 pounds, Ndubuisi’s imposing stature remains intriguing to teams.