Browns tight end Jordan Akins: Texans fans 'can thank me now' with C.J. Stroud in Houston

BEREA — Browns tight end Jordan Akins delivered a late Christmas gift to Houston Texans fans in the 2022 regular-season finale.

At the time, though, many of them thought they had received a lump of coal.

Akins caught four passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns along with another ball for a game-winning two-point conversion in the Texans' 32-31 road victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 8, 2023.

The outcome cost the Texans the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft. They wound up selecting quarterback C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State second overall after the Carolina Panthers took QB Bryce Young out of Alabama with the top choice. The Panthers had acquired the No. 1 pick in a March trade with the Chicago Bears.

In a recent interview with the Beacon Journal, Akins said he received “threats” on Instagram from Texans fans after he caught a 28-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-20 with 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter and a subsequent two-point pass from quarterback Davis Mills to lift the Texans to a record of 3-13-1. The Bears finished 3-14.

Nearly a year later, Akins said some Texans fans have expressed gratitude for his compelling role in how everything unfolded in Houston.

“Now they do,” Akins said. “Before they even got C.J., it was all backlash, like, 'Why'd you do that?'

“Now they're looking good. They're doing good. So they can thank me now.”

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Akins will return to Houston on Sunday when the Browns (9-5) face the Texans (8-6) with both franchises in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Stroud has had an impressive rookie season, completing 62.4% of his passes for 3,631 yards and 20 touchdowns with five interceptions for a passer rating of 98.7 and rushing 35 times for 143 yards and three TDs in 13 games.

If the Texans had the No. 1 pick, would they have taken Stroud anyway? Veteran Houston reporters John McClain and Aaron Wilson are among those who have explained their information pointed to the Texans wanting to select Young, not Stroud, atop the draft.

Stroud sat out the Texans' 19-16 road win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday after suffering a concussion the previous week. Former Browns quarterback Case Keenum started in place of Stroud and will do so again this weekend if Stroud remains in concussion protocol. On Tuesday, Wilson reported Stroud is still experiencing concussion symptoms.

Regardless of who quarterbacks the Texans, Akins said there's “no doubt” he views the Christmas Eve matchup as a revenge game.

The Texans drafted Akins out of Central Florida in the third round (98th overall) in 2018. When his four-year rookie contract expired, the Texans let him walk in free agency. He signed with the New York Giants, but they cut him before the 2022 season. He rejoined the Texans by signing to their practice squad and eventually their 53-man roster.

Last season, Akins played 15 games for the Texans with three starts. He tied a career high with 37 catches and posted single-season bests with 495 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

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Akins, 31, said he thought he would re-sign with the Texans this past offseason, but he didn't receive the offer he wanted from General Manager Nick Caserio. In March, Akins signed a two-year contract with the Browns worth as much as $5.2 million, including incentives. The deal reunited him with former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

“I played four years [with the Texans]. They didn't extend me. I went to camp with the Giants. The Giants cut me, and then I ended up going back to Houston and played,” Akins said. “I had the best year of my career, so I'm very thankful for that opportunity, but really, really upset with them the way they handled the business off the field as far as re-signing me. So I can't wait to play against them.

“When I first came back there, everybody was telling me how happy they were to have me back, even the GM and even the owners. Everybody was just telling me, 'Hopefully this works out for you. Come out, ball, you never know where it'll take you — maybe a new contract.'

“But after the season, my agent was telling me they wanted to extend me, but they wanted to do it for the minimum. So, I mean, five years I put my heart, blood, sweat and tears [into playing for the Texans], and [they were] actually getting productive years out of me. I just feel really like mistreated, disrespected, on that end.”

In 2010, the Texas Rangers drafted Akins in the third round out of high school. He played minor-league baseball for four seasons. He then spent the 2014-17 seasons with the UCF football program, leading him to the Texans.

“I was always playing pro sports [for] Texas [organizations]. To go back [to the Texans] took a lot,” Akins said. “It mentally kind of broke me down, but mentally made me strong. So when I went back, I was like, 'I'm going to prove [myself].'

“It didn't work out for me. It's a game. It's a business. On that end, like I said, I just felt disrespected and unwanted and misused.”

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With the Browns, Akins has appeared in all 14 games and started four of them, but he's been playing behind fellow tight ends David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. Njoku has logged 856 of the offense's 1,045 snaps, Bryant 321 and Akins 170, according to pro-football-reference.com's count.

“I'm here to just do my role,” Akins said. “Of course, everybody would want to have the ball more and make more plays, but Joker's doing a great job, Harrison's doing a great job. When I get in and I get the ball, I do my job. When I'm blocking, I do my job. That tight end room is very competitive, which brings out the best in all of us, and I'm going to keep pushing and keep pushing until I get the opportunity.”

Akins has nine catches on 14 targets for 62 yards this season.

“Jordan's a pro's pro,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He's had an interesting career. Obviously, got started a little bit late into football with playing professional baseball. But he fits in great in our locker room, has from the first day, great teammate, does whatever is asked of him, giving us great reps on special teams. [On our] field-goal protection ... he's got a tough job each week, and he's really doing a nice job.”

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Akins ended his Texans tenure with one of the two multi-touchdown games he has produced during his six-year NFL career.

Akins explained there were many Texans veterans who weren't concerned about the No. 1 overall draft pick in Week 18. They simply wanted to win the 2022 season finale, he said, because they didn't know if they would ever play together again.

“We're competitors,” Akins added. “Especially if I'm able to catch two touchdowns with an extra point and ... use my talent, of course, I'll do it. I'll take advantage of it every time.”

Perhaps Akins will soon have a shot to capitalize on an opportunity in Houston.

“I can't wait to go back,” he said. “I just definitely want to get after it.”

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns' Jordan Akins played part in Texans picking CJ Stroud