If there is one position in all of sports where the goal is to NOT get noticed, and for people to NOT know your name, where disappearing into the complex tapestry of the game is considered success, it's the long snapper on an NFL team. The snaps on punts and place kicking plays are considered as routine as turning the lights on in a dark room, and you only think of your energy company's name when the lights do NOT come on.
For 15 seasons, Jon Weeks name never came up on game days, on the broadcast or on the post game show. That's because the Texans' long snapper was literally perfect for all that time. Never a bad snap. Along the way, Weeks played with virtually every Texans legend, practically every head coach in franchise history, and endeared himself to the community.
Why are we talking about Jon Weeks right now, more in the previous two paragraphs than perhaps the previous 15 seasons? Because, for the first time since the 2009 season, Weeks will not be a Houston Texan, as he signed a one year deal worth up to $1.42 million with the San Francisco 49ers.
Thank you, 46 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zyJM6hZFtI
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) March 14, 2025
Here are a few thoughts on the Texans' longest-tenured player in franchise history seeing his time come to an end as a Houston Texan:
Some perspective of just how long Weeks was a TexanFirst there a the sheer numbers. Weeks' 244 games started is, far and away, the most for any one player in Texans history. Among active players, Weeks ranks ninth in career starts. He has started every Texans game since the 2010 season, including every playoff game in team history. For some perspective on just how long Weeks' Texans career was, he was teammates with DeMeco Ryans, and joined the Texans a year before J.J. Watt was even drafted by the team.
Weeks will be missed off the field, as wellWe can talk about how a good long snapper is virtually invisible on the field. Off the field, though, , through the years in Houston, Weeks became a fixture in charitable efforts off the field in Houston. Most notably, he would spring for shopping sprees every holiday season for underprivileged kids in the Houston area. He was the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee in 2023. It stands to reason that, if Weeks had not made the Texans' roster back in 2010, he was set to embark on a career as a first responder, as a firefighter, more specifically.
Who is left from the Bill O'Brien Era?
This will be a short paragraph. With the trade of tackle Laremy Tunsil, along with safety Eric Murray and Weeks leaving in free agency, we are left with two O'Brien Era players — offensive lineman Tytus Howard and kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn. That's it.
Getting to know his (possible) replacementThe Texans had signed long snappers before, even with Weeks still on the roster, so I don't know that their signing 27 year old Tucker Addington a couple weeks ago was a tell necessarily, but with Weeks now gone, it would seem that Addington has the inside track on replacing him. Addington was most recently a member of the Jaguars' practice squad, after being released by the Miami Dolphins during the season. Addington has also played for the New England Patriots, and for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, back in 2022. He played his college ball at Sam Houston State University, and hails from New Braunfels.
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