Pats Pulpit
The AFC divisional round’s connections do not end with executive vice president and general manager Nick Caserio.
Nor do they end with a coaching staff featuring Nick Caley, Cole Popovich, Jerry Schuplinski and even Ben McDaniels. Not with the scouting, personnel and development likes of D.J. Debick, Steve Cargile, Shane Vereen and André Davis, either.
Between the active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, 10 players in the fold for Sunday have been both Houston Texans and New England Patriots during their careers.
Here’s a look through that list of past and present names ahead of the 3 p.m. ET kickoff.
Jakob Johnson, fullback — Since heading to Houston in March, Johnson has made stops on the 53-man roster, injured reserve as well as the practice squad, where he currently resides. The veteran fullback’s campaign has included seven appearances, including two starts, and a blocked punt. He’s seen 86 snaps on offense and 44 snaps on special teams while in the AFC South. Stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants arrived in recent years for the 31-year-old Tennessee Vols alum and native of Stuttgart, Germany. Prior to then, Johnson had been assigned to Foxborough as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway in 2019. The stay began on the practice squad after clearing waivers as a rookie. But 37 games followed, with Johnson catching 13 passes for 83 yards and one touchdown.
Braxton Berrios, wide receiver — Taken by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft at No. 210 overall, Berrios spent the Super Bowl LIII campaign on injured reserve. The University of Miami product was then claimed off waivers by the New York Jets in 2019. He went on to appear in 65 games during his time in the Meadowlands, totaling 1,085 receiving yards, 160 rushing yards, 2,434 return yards and 11 all-purpose touchdowns. A completed pass was also among them. After being released in 2023, the former first-team All-Pro returner stayed in the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins and suffered a torn ACL last season. Berrios signed with Houston in March. The 30-year-old wideout has appeared in four games since then and was inactive for the wild card.
Trent Brown, offensive tackle — After suffering a torn patellar tendon with the Cincinnati Bengals last campaign, Brown agreed to terms with Houston on another one-year pact in March. The towering 32-year-old has since gone from the practice squad to the active roster, starting all seven appearances at right tackle during the regular season and another last Monday night. A Super Bowl LIII champion and onetime Pro Bowler, Brown’s run in the league has brought a pair of stints at Gillette Stadium. He initially landed there through a 2018 trade with the San Francisco 49ers. He returned through a 2021 trade with Las Vegas. The former transfer from Georgia Military College to the University of Florida was taken in the seventh round of the 2015 draft class at No. 244...
