GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers addressed one of their major positions of need late last week by signing former Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens.
Owens, who turns 28 on July 22, is coming off a career-best season in which he started 17 games. He had 84 solo tackles and 125 total tackles to rank second on the Texans in both categories.
He appeared in a total of 31 games for the Texans from 2019-22. He played seven games with two starts in 2021, appeared in six games in 2020 and one in 2019. Owens originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri Western.
Owens and his wife – gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles – made posts on their social media accounts celebrating the signing. The posts showed a picture of Owens preparing to sign the paperwork while Biles sat beside him wearing Packers gear.
Owens’ post included a cheese emoji, while Biles’ post included the message, “GO PACK GO.”
The Packers return Darnell Savage at one safety spot but otherwise lack safeties with starting experience. Adrian Amos, who started 66 games for the Packers over the last four seasons, remains a free agent.
Green Bay returns Rudy Ford, Dallin Leavitt and Innis Gaines and has added former San Francisco 49ers safety Tarvarius Moore, but their contributions have primarily come on special teams. Ford briefly replaced Savage in the starting lineup last season before Savage moved back atop the depth chart.
The only safety the Packers drafted this year was Iowa State’s Anthony Johnson Jr. in the seventh round.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Green Bay Packers helmets lay on the ground during a practice session at their NFL minicamp Wednesday, June 13, 2018, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)