Jaylen Reed
Jaylen MarQuiese Reed is an American professional football [Safety (gridiron American football|football position)|safety] for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
Reed attended Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit, Michigan. He committed to Penn State University to play college football.College career
As a true freshman at Penn State in 2021, Reed played in eight games and had six tackles. As a sophomore in 2022, he played in all 13 games and had 31 tackles. Reed started all 13 games as a junior in 2023 and finished with 46 tackles, two interceptions and one sack. He returned as a starter his senior year in 2024.On January 13, 2025, Reed declared for the 2025 NFL draft.
Professional career
Reed was selected by the Houston Texans in the sixth round in the 2025 NFL draft. He began the regular season on the PUP list due to a knee injury. Reed was activated for his NFL debut on October 20, 2025. He made seven appearances for Houston, recording one fumble recovery and 14 combined tackles. On December 6, Reed was placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a forearm injury suffered in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.On January 8, 2026, after the Texans clinched the No. 5 seed in the AFC, Reed returned to practice for his team's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. Four days later, Reed was activated by the Texans.