Houston Texans bench safety Justin Reid for violating team rules

HOUSTON -- Texans safety Justin Reid did not play in Sunday's 21-14 loss to the New York Jets for violating team rules.

"It was [for] disciplinary reasons, it was a coach's decision and we'll keep that internal," Texans coach David Culley said after the game.

Reid was suspended for the game after he challenged Culley's coaching in a team meeting, team sources told ESPN. During the meeting, Reid got into a very public argument with a teammate.

When asked if Reid would be suspended for only one game, Culley said, "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"We have rules and when the rules are broken ... it doesn't matter who it is," Culley said.

This is not the first time Culley has held players out for disciplinary reasons. Earlier this season, linebacker Zach Cunningham and cornerback Desmond King were benched in similar situations.

As the Texans have been working on rebuilding a team that went 4-12 in 2020 and is without quarterback Deshaun Watson, the team has been trying to emphasize building a culture, in part by the way they've handled these disciplinary measures.

Culley said Sunday he wasn't concerned that this is the third time a player has missed playing time for disciplinary reasons.

Reid is the Texans' best defensive back and has two interceptions, a forced fumble and four passes defended this season. Reid, a third-round pick in 2018, is in the final season of his rookie contract.

Veteran tight end Jordan Akins was also inactive, a healthy scratch for the second straight game.