The Houston Texans had high hopes for Folorunso Fatukasi heading into last season, but the situation did not pan out as hoped. Now, Fatukasi will look to get back on track in 2026, sticking in the AFC but heading West.
He has joined No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 draft, Fernando Mendoza, on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Fittingly, the Texans and Raiders will square off in Preseason Week 2.
Texans Set to Face Folorunso Fatukasi vs RaidersGettyFolorunso Fatukasi is set to face the Texans next Thursday.
“We have signed DT Folorunso Fatukasi,” the Raiders announced in a post on X on August 15, adding the note that the former Texans lineman is taking the roster spot of injured linebacker Brennan Jackson.
Fatukasi, 31, started one of the four games he played in for the Texans last season.
There was plenty of buzz about his return to the Texans in 2025 after he started all 11 of his appearances in 2024.
Fatukasi tallied 8 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in four games, drawing one start for the Texans, before he suffered a season-ending injury and went on the reserve list.
Now, Fatukasi will look to restart his career with the Raiders, who have a new coaching staff, including head coach Klint Kubiak–son of former Texans head coach Gary Kubiak–and defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
If he suits up, Fatukasi will lock horns with the Texans’ starters.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that he expects everyone who is healthy to play when asked directly about the Texans’ starters playing against the Raiders.
Fatukasi entered the league as a sixth-round pick, taken 180th overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 draft. He also spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He logged 32 combined stops, 2.5 sacks, and started 12 of 15 games played with the Texans.
For his career, Fatukasi has 196 total tackles, 7.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 recovery.
He has started 64 of the 90 games he has played across his eight-year career so far, giving the Raiders a reliable (when healthy) veteran presence.
Texans Rebuilt DT Room After Injury-Filled SeasonGettyKayden McDonald has room to improve following his NFL preseason debut.
Fatukasi was one of nine defensive tackles that the Texans cycled through during the 2025 regular season and one of the five in that rotation who logged fewer than five appearances all season long.
This offseason, the Texans made a concerted effort to upgrade their defensive interior, signing Tampa Bay Buccaneers lineman Logan Hall, who will split time inside and outside.
More notably, the Texans selected Kayden McDonald 36th overall in the 2026 draft.
The Texans ranked first overall and second in scoring defensively, and their run defense finished higher (fourth) than their pass defense (sixth). However, they had some situational issues that McDonald could address, if not more, given his athleticism despite his size.
McDonald earned the 15th-ranked grade among Texans defenders in his debut from Pro Football Focus.
Those grades are subjective, but there was always going to be room for improvement.
McDonald is still a rookie, even though he has looked like a steal for a second-round pick during the Texans’ offseason program and training camp. He will look to fare better when the Texans take on Fatukasi and the Raiders on Thursday, August 20.
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