On August 16, 2002, the Houston Chronicle reported that Minardi was "battling long odds to make the roster," but noted that "all eyes were on him Thursday when he made a great catch of a pass from David Carr and dragged both feet inbounds in the back of the end zone for a touchdown." However, he was waived by the Texans in the first week of September 2002.
On August 16, 2002, the Houston Chronicle reported that Minardi faced tough competition to make the team roster but made a memorable play when he caught a pass from David Carr and scored a touchdown by dragging his feet into the end zone. However, he was released by the Texans in early September 2002.