Quintez Cephus Bio
Quintez Cephus (born April 1, 1998) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was selected by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing approximately 207 pounds, Cephus has lined up as a wideout at every stop of his professional career.
After beginning his NFL tenure with Detroit, Cephus spent time on practice squads and short-term deals across the league before landing with the Houston Texans. His career has featured both on-field production and off-field challenges, including a league suspension that cost him the 2023 season.
Early Life and Background
Quintez Cephus was born on April 1, 1998, in Macon, Georgia, and grew up in the same city. He attended Stratford Academy in Macon, where he played multiple positions on the gridiron. Cephus lined up at running back, wide receiver, and on defense during his high school years, demonstrating the versatility that would later help him adapt to different offensive schemes in college and the NFL.
His multi-position experience at Stratford Academy drew recruiting attention and earned him a three-star recruiting grade. Cephus also competed as a basketball player and initially committed to Furman for hoops before pivoting to football. He chose to pursue the sport at the next level, framing the decision as a business decision rather than continuing with basketball.
Path to Professional Football
Cephus committed to the University of Wisconsin on November 13, 2015, choosing the Badgers over offers from Miami, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Southern. He joined a program with a strong tradition of developing wide receivers and immediately began working toward a role in the rotation.
During his sophomore season at Wisconsin, Cephus caught thirty passes and posted his first career 100-yard receiving game against Purdue. That progress was interrupted by a broken leg suffered against Indiana on November 4, which required surgery and sidelined him for the remainder of the season. After missing his junior year due to pending legal matters, Cephus was cleared by the NCAA to return on August 23, 2019, and led the 2019 Badgers in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns during his senior campaign.
Quintez Cephus Career
Early Career (2020–2021)
The Detroit Lions selected Cephus in the fifth round with the 166th overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft. The pick had been acquired by Detroit through a prior trade that sent cornerback Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles. On July 13, 2020, the Lions signed Cephus to a four-year contract, locking in his first professional deal.
Cephus made an early impact during his rookie season when he scored his first professional touchdown on a 49-yard reception from quarterback Matthew Stafford against the Chicago Bears in Week 13. The following year, on October 12, 2021, Cephus was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, and on October 8, 2022, he was again placed on injured reserve, limiting his availability over the back half of his Lions tenure.
Detroit Lions Era (2020–2022)
Cephus entered the NFL as a developmental wide receiver behind a deep Detroit receiving corps. His role expanded late in his rookie year, highlighted by the long touchdown strike from Stafford. Despite flashes of production, injuries repeatedly interrupted his momentum, with separate shoulder issues sending him to injured reserve in both 2021 and 2022.
On April 21, 2023, Cephus was suspended indefinitely, for at least one season, after it was discovered he had violated the NFL’s gambling policy by betting on NFL games. He was subsequently released by the Lions following the incident, ending his time in Detroit.
Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams Era (2024)
On April 18, 2024, Cephus was reinstated by the NFL and immediately sought a return to the field. On April 29, 2024, he signed a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills, though he was released on May 16. Shortly after, on July 18, 2024, Cephus signed with the Houston Texans but was released on August 27.
On September 18, 2024, Cephus was signed to the Los Angeles Rams practice squad. He signed a reserve or future contract with Los Angeles on January 20, 2025, and remained with the organization before being waived on June 25, 2025.
San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans Era (2025–Present)
On July 24, 2025, Cephus signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He was waived by San Francisco on July 28, 2025, after a brief stay. Days later, on August 6, 2025, Cephus signed with the Houston Texans, only to be released on August 26 as part of final roster cuts. He was re-signed to the Texans practice squad on September 24.
Notable Events and Milestones
Cephus’s most memorable early-career moment came on his first NFL touchdown, a 49-yard catch from Matthew Stafford against the Chicago Bears. His career also includes a significant off-field milestone: his reinstatement to the NFL on April 18, 2024, following a season-long suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy.
Quintez Cephus Career Wins
Quintez Cephus is best measured as a contributor and rotational wide receiver rather than a win-total headline. His verified production centers on his rookie touchdown catch and his senior-season leadership of the Wisconsin Badgers in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Wisconsin Badgers Highlights
At Wisconsin, Cephus’s most notable statistical line came during his 2019 senior season, when he led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. His earlier 100-yard receiving performance against Purdue and his 30-reception sophomore season marked his development before the broken leg that cut that year short.
NFL Highlights
In the NFL, Cephus’s verified highlight is his 49-yard touchdown reception from Matthew Stafford against the Chicago Bears during his rookie season with the Detroit Lions. Beyond that play, his professional resume is built on practice-squad contributions and short-term roster moves as he works to secure a stable role with the Houston Texans.
Quintez Cephus Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Quintez Cephus was raised in Macon, Georgia, and attended Stratford Academy, where he developed as a multi-sport athlete before focusing on football. Public details about his immediate family, including parents and siblings, are not widely verified.
In the early morning hours of April 22, 2018, Cephus engaged in sexual acts with two women. Cephus claimed the acts were consensual, while the women stated they were too intoxicated to give legal consent. Cephus was suspended from the Wisconsin football team in August 2018 and formally charged with second- and third-degree counts of sexual assault of an intoxicated victim. On August 2, 2019, he was acquitted on both counts, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison later re-admitted him as a student before the fall 2019 semester.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NFL calendar has been a whirlwind for Quintez Cephus. He signed a reserve or future contract with the Los Angeles Rams in January but was waived on June 25, 2025. A four-day stint with the San Francisco 49ers followed in late July before he was waived, and he then joined the Houston Texans on August 6, 2025.
Cephus was released by the Texans on August 26 as part of final roster cuts but returned to the organization when he was re-signed to the team’s practice squad on September 24. His role on the practice squad keeps him within the Houston system as he works toward an opportunity to contribute on the active roster.
Looking ahead through the remainder of the 2025 season, Cephus’s priority is stability after a year defined by multiple transactions. A return to the active roster would mark his most significant on-field opportunity since his rookie season with the Detroit Lions.