Houstontexans.com - Official Website of the Houston Texans

TRANSACTIONS: Selected by Denver Broncos in sixth round (191st pick overall) of 2002 NFL draft…Signed by Broncos on June 14, 2002…Re-signed by Broncos on March 10, 2005…Signed by Houston Texans on March 21, 2006.

PRO: Big, athletic tight end who has played six NFL seasons…signed with the Texans as a free agent in 2006 after spending the first four years of his career with the Denver Broncos, where Texans head coach Gary Kubiak was offensive coordinator…had six receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown in eight games with one start in 2007...played 61 career games, with 16 starts...has 96 career receptions for 1,251 yards (13.0 avg.) and three touchdowns...appeared in three postseason contests.

2007: Played in eight games, starting one...totaled six receptions for 39 yards and one TD...saw action as a reserve in the season opener against Kansas City (9/9)...grabbed one reception for six yards at Carolina (9/16)...caught two passes for 19 yards against Indianapolis (9/23)...made one reception for two yards at Atlanta (9/30)...played but did not record a reception against Miami (10/7)...was inactive at Jacksonville (10/14)...started and caught one pass for a seven-yard TD from QB Sage Rosenfels, the third TD of Putzier's career and first with the Texans, against Tennessee (10/21)...made one catch for five yards at San Diego (10/28)...was inactive at Oakland (11/4), against New Orleans (11/18), at Cleveland (11/25) and at Tennessee (12/2)...saw action as a reserve against Tampa Bay (12/9)...was inactive against Denver (12/13), at Indianapolis (12/23) and against Jacksonville (12/30).

2006: Played in 14 games, starting two…made 13 catches for 125 yards…saw first action as a Texan against Philadelphia (9/10)…made a season-long 26-yard catch…caught one pass for 10 yards at Indianapolis (9/17)…started at TE against Washington (9/24) and made one catch for 12 yards…started at TE at Dallas (10/15)…finished the game with one catch for 12 yards…made one catch at Jacksonville (11/12)…caught two passes for 19 yards at the New York Jets (11/26)…finished with two catches for 19 yards against Indianapolis (12/24).   

2005: Played in all 16 games, starting four, and made a career-high 37 catches for 481 yards to finish fourth among the league's tight ends with a 13.0 yards-per-reception average…tied for ninth among the conference's tight ends with 37 receptions…tied for the team lead with a career-high seven catches for 67 yards, tying his career best, including a 13-yarder, at Miami (9/11)…contributed a six-yard reception to a drive resulting in a field goal in that game...made one catch for 16 yards in the home opener against San Diego (9/18)…grabbed two balls for 15 yards at Jacksonville (10/2)…contributed a 31-yard catch to help set up WR Ashley Lelie's five-yard touchdown grab from QB Jake Plummer against Washington (10/9)…caught three passes for 32 yards, including a 13-yarder, in his first start of the season as the team opened in a two-tight end formation against New England (10/16)…13-yard reception converted a second-and-seven late in the fourth quarter, allowing the team to run the rest of the time off the clock…grabbed three balls for 19 yards, including a 10-yard catch to convert a third-and-seven sustaining a drive which resulted in a field goal, at the New York Giants (10/23)…also made a five-yard catch on third-and-two to sustain a drive which resulted in a touchdown against the Giants…caught two passes for 39 yards, including a 28-yarder, against Philadelphia (10/30)…made three catches for 33 yards, including an 18-yarder at Oakland (11/13)…two of his three catches helped set up Denver scores…also grabbed Plummer's pass for a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter against the Raiders…made a 26-yard catch against the New York Jets (11/20)…catch moved the ball to the Jets' 49-yard line to help set up K Jason Elam's 26-yard field goal in the second quarter…made four catches for 69 yards at Dallas (11/24) on Thanksgiving…three of his receptions helped set up Broncos scores in that game…made four catches for 50 yards, including a season-long 32-yarder to get in position for QB Bradlee Van Pelt's seven-yard touchdown run at Kansas City (12/4)…made an eight-yard catch to convert a third-and-three vs. Baltimore (12/11)...started at tight end and made three catches for 56 yards, including a 28-yarder to help Denver clinch a playoff berth at Buffalo (12/17)…28-yard reception helped set up the team's opening score against the Bills…made a 17-yard catch to help set up Plummer's one-yard touchdown run against Oakland (12/24)…made a three-yard catch in the regular-season finale at San Diego (12/31)…caught three passes for 37 yards in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against New England (1/14/06) to help hand the Patriots their first postseason loss in 11 games…caught a 24-yard pass on third-and-17 at New England's 36-yard line early in the second quarter…caught a playoff career-high four passes for 55 yards in the AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh (1/22/06).

2004: Enjoyed a breakout year, leading the Broncos' tight ends with 36 catches for a career-high 572 yards (15.9 avg.) with two touchdowns in 16 games (5 starts)…saw action in all 16 games for the first time in his career…ranked fourth in the AFC and ninth in NFL among tight ends in receiving yards and placed 12th in receptions by an AFC tight end…led the AFC and finished second in the NFL among eligible tight ends with a 15.9 yards-per-reception average, which was the best average by a Broncos tight end in 25 years (third best all-time)…also took on added responsibility as an H-back in certain formations…made his second career start against Kansas City (9/12) in the Broncos' season opener and caught two passes for 25 yards (12.5 avg.) against the Chiefs, highlighted by an 18-yard grab in the fourth quarter of a close game…enjoyed a career day against San Diego (9/26) as he set personal bests in receptions (five) and receiving yards (66)…started at TE at Oakland (10/17) and led all Broncos in receiving with three catches for 52 yards (17.3 avg.) along with his first-career touchdown, a 12-yard scoring strike in the first quarter…turned a short catch into a 38-yard gain in the second quarter against Atlanta (10/31) during a two-catch, 47-yard day against the Falcons…hauled in two passes for 48 yards versus Houston (11/7), including a highlight reel-worthy 34-yard touchdown in the first quarter…caught four passes for 36 yards at New Orleans (11/21)…kept the Broncos' comeback attempt alive at San Diego (12/5) with a career-long 39-yard catch, his only reception, in the fourth quarter…converted a fourth-and-six in the fourth quarter against Miami (12/12) with a 19-yard reception, finishing with two catches for 30 yards…made four catches for 60 yards, including a 34-yarder, at Tennessee (12/25)...recorded a career-high 67 yards receiving on three catches in Denver's regular-season finale against Indianapolis (1/2/05)…caught a 35-yard touchdown pass in the Broncos' AFC Wild Card Game at Indianapolis (1/9/05) and finished the game with three receptions for 67 yards.

2003: Played four regular-season games for the Broncos and caught four passes for 34 yards (8.5 avg.) with a long of 13…played on special teams in the season opener at Cincinnati (9/7) and again at Baltimore (10/26) before seeing his first action from scrimmage against San Diego (11/16)…was active but did not play in three games—at San Diego (9/14), against Detroit (9/28), and at Oakland (11/30)—and was declared inactive nine times on the year…returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 16 yards at Baltimore (10/26)…saw his first action from scrimmage on the year against  San Diego (11/16) when he lined up at tight end and split end…made the first catch of his career and finished with a team-high four catches for 34 yards in the regular-season finale at G.B. (12/28)...first-career catch came on an 11-yard grab from Danny Kanell with less than a minute remaining in the first half…inactive for the Broncos' AFC Wild Card Game at Ind. (1/4/04).

2002: Selected by the Broncos in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft…played three games as a rookie and made one start at Seattle (11/17), but did not record a reception…was declared inactive for 11 of the other 13 games…made his professional debut at Baltimore (9/30), seeing action on special teams…started for the first time at Seattle (11/17) when the Broncos opened the game in a two tight-end set and also played on offense the next week against Indianapolis (11/24)…was active but did not play at New England (10/27) and at San Diego (12/1).

COLLEGE:  Mostly played wide receiver during his first three years at Boise State before switching to tight end for his senior year…finished his collegiate career with 128 receptions for 2,050 yards, a 16.0 average, with 19 touchdowns…left Boise State ranking seventh in school history in both catches (128) and receiving yards (2,050) while his 19 touchdowns ranked sixth…All-Western Athletic Conference selection as a senior after starting all 12 games and pulling in a career-high 44 passes for 824 yards (18.7 avg.) and 12 touchdowns, the most by any tight end in the nation…was a walk-on to the Boise State program and was redshirted his first season….also played basketball...majored in English.