DAL @ HOUFinal 34-30, Oct 4, 2026
defensive: TOT 2, SOLO 1, SACKS 0, TFL 0, PD 0, QB HTS 1, TD 0
FootballNFLHouston TexansDefensive tackle
Sheldon Rankins
Stats, career, game log and next gameDefensive tackle Sheldon Rankins plays for the Houston Texans and was drafted 12th overall in the 1st round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
146 NFL games11 seasons
Updated
About Sheldon Rankins
Sheldon Rankins is a defensive tackle for the Houston Texans and wears number 98. Born on April 2, 1994, in Covington, Georgia, he played college football at Louisville. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2016 NFL Draft, with the 12th pick overall. His first NFL season was 2016.
Rankins played for the New Orleans Saints from 2016 to 2020 and for the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022, before joining the Houston Texans in 2023. He played for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024 and has played for the Houston Texans since 2025.
Sheldon Rankins had 2 tackles in a 34-30 loss against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct 4, 2026 (Week 4). He had 3 tackles and 1 sack in a 20-6 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sep 20, 2026 (Week 2), after 3 tackles and 1 pass defended in a 36-31 loss against the Buffalo Bills on Sep 13, 2026 (Week 1). The Houston Texans visit the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday, Oct 11, 2026 (Week 5).
Agatha Research DeskUpdated Oct 6, 2026Season by season146
146 games: 137 regular season, 9 playoffs. Every NFL game in our records, newest season first.
| Season | Team | Games | Tackles | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | HOU | 4 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | HOU | 17 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 playoffs | 2 | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024 |  CIN | 7 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | HOU | 15 | 37 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 playoffs | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 |  NYJ | 15 | 43 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | NYJ | 16 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 |  NO | 12 | 20 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 playoffs | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2019 | NO | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | NO | 16 | 40 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 playoffs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | NO | 16 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 playoffs | 2 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | NO | 9 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 137 | 292 | 35.5 | 1 | 4 | |
| Career playoffs | 9 | 22 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 |
How he is doing now
2026 defense11 tackles11 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 pass defended, 4 games
Texans0-42026 regular season
Last game2 tacklesOct 4 vs Cowboys
Injury status
No injury reports on file.
Game log, 2026
HOU @ INDFinal 17-19, Sep 27, 2026
defensive: TOT 3, SOLO 3, SACKS 1, TFL 1, PD 0, QB HTS 2, TD 0
CIN @ HOUFinal 20-6, Sep 20, 2026
defensive: TOT 3, SOLO 2, SACKS 1, TFL 2, PD 0, QB HTS 2, TD 0
BUF @ HOUFinal 36-31, Sep 13, 2026
defensive: TOT 3, SOLO 0, SACKS 0, TFL 0, PD 1, QB HTS 0, TD 0
Box score lines from ESPN.
Next game
66%PRED1U
Rankins against the Titans5 games, 13 tackles and 1 sack
Last met Nov 16, 2025; his teams 5-0.
Career
New Orleans Saints2016 to 2020 - 68 gamesNew York Jets2021 to 2022 - 31 gamesHouston Texans2023 to 2023 - 17 gamesCincinnati Bengals2024 to 2024 - 7 gamesHouston Texans2025 to now - 23 games10years2016 to 2026
- 2016NFL debut41-23 win vs 49ers
- 2018Best season40 tackles, 8 sacks in 16 games
- 2026Best gamevs Colts
- Oct 4, 2026Latest gamevs Cowboys
Regular season
137 games
292 tackles, 35.5 sacks, 1 INT
Playoffs
9 games
22 tackles, 3.5 sacks
First NFL game
Nov 6, 2016: 1 tackleSaints 41, 49ers 23
Latest game
Oct 4, 2026: 2 tacklesCowboys 34, Texans 30
Most often against
The teams he has faced most, with his teams' record and his line against each.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers12 games
6-6his teams
His line: 18 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 pass defended
Last met Sep 15, 2025
Atlanta Falcons10 games
5-5his teams
His line: 21 tackles and 3 sacks
Last met Oct 8, 2023
Carolina Panthers10 games
7-3his teams
His line: 18 tackles
Last met Sep 12, 2021
Buffalo Bills7 games
3-4his teams
His line: 19 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception and 2 passes defended
Last met Sep 13, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars7 games
4-3his teams
His line: 11 tackles
Last met Nov 9, 2025
Baltimore Ravens6 games
2-4his teams
His line: 9 tackles
Last met Oct 5, 2025
Sources and updates
Stats, scores and injury reports come from Agatha's own records: nflverse weekly stats, ESPN box scores and ESPN's injury reports.
Updated Oct 6, 2026, 1:23 PM ET. Results and form refresh after every game; biography facts are checked weekly.