Seven weeks ahead of the start of the 2023 NFL draft, the NFL has stripped the Texans of their fifth-round pick for violating the league’s salary cap. Houston has also been issued a $175,000 fine.
The violation stems from the team not reporting all of its compensation to former quarterback Deshaun Watson during the 2020 season.
“Pursuant to the salary cap requirements in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, clubs must report any player compensation or benefit,” the league wrote in a statement. “Following a review, the NFL determined that the club provided then Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson with undisclosed compensation in the form of a membership at an alternative athletic facility in 2020.”