The Houston Texans have added some depth to their kicking position by signing Matt Ammendola to their practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.
Ammendola, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, will serve as a backup option for Ka’imi Fairbairn, who is dealing with a quad injury that forced him to leave the Texans’ Week 9 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Fairbairn’s injury status is uncertain, and the Texans may need to elevate Ammendola to the active roster for their Week 10 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. Ammendola is eligible to be elevated up to three times without being exposed to waivers.
Ammendola, 26, is a former Oklahoma State standout who made his NFL debut with the New York Jets in 2021. He played 11 games for the Jets, making 13 of 19 field goal attempts and 19 of 22 extra point attempts. He spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and the Chiefs in 2022, but did not see any regular season action. He also had a brief stint with the Texans in the 2022 preseason, filling in for Fairbairn.
Ammendola will hope to impress the Texans and earn a longer-term opportunity in the league. He will face competition from Fairbairn, who has been a reliable kicker for the Texans since 2018. Fairbairn has made 84.7% of his field goal attempts (111 of 131) and 94.4% of his extra point attempts (155 of 164) in his career.
The Texans are looking to improve their kicking game, which has been inconsistent this season. They have made 10 of 14 field goal attempts and 13 of 15 extra point attempts, ranking 24th and 28th in the league, respectively. Ammendola could provide a boost to the Texans’ offense, which has struggled to score points, averaging 16.4 points per game, the second-lowest in the league.
