Texans Notebook: JJ Watt Headed To Ring of Honor on Sunday
Plus other news and notes from around the organization
HOUSTON — When the Texans started training camp, they had a healthy and expensive offensive line.
Since the start of camp, they've taken on plenty of water at a key position group.
There has been a mix of good developments lately, mainly allowing zero sacks with a makeshift line in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Plus, right tackle Tytus Howard, on injured reserve after undergoing surgery to repair two broken bones, is set to be activated next week, per league sources.
The Texans have only had one original starter since camp start every game: right guard Shaq Mason.
Meanwhile, left guard Kenyon Green (torn labrum) and center Scott Quessenberry (torn knee ligaments) are on season-ending injured reserve.
As for Howard, he has made a sound recovery from the hand issue that includes having metal hardware inserted during the procedure to aid the healing process.
Barring any unexpected snag, Howard should return to practice next week in advance of a road game against the Atlanta Falcons, per sources. Howard has maintained his usual exercise routine and has been attending practices and meetings. Whether the Texans have him play immediately against Atlanta is undecided, per sources.
George Fant has done a solid job at right tackle for three games for the Texans. When Howard returns, he could step back into his natural right tackle spot. Howard also has a background at left tackle and lined up there in the past when Pro Bowl left offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil was sidelined with a thumb ligament injury two seasons ago and was placed on injured reserve. Now, Tunsil is dealing with a painful knee injury that has kept him out of the past two games. Tunsil didn’t practice Wednesday and is regarded as unlikely to play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per sources.
Howard, signed to a three-year, $56 million contract extension at the start of camp, dealt with swelling in hand at the start of the season and it was determined that it wasn’t a good idea for him to rush back to play after suffering a time table with an original recovery timetable of four to six weeks. Instead, Howard is poised to return in a two-month span.
“Thank you everyone for all the hand donations lol but I’ll be good,” Howard wrote on social media when he was placed on injured reserve and it was decided that he would miss games against the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers. “I’ll be back soon better than ever.”
The heftiest investments for the Texans’ roster has been their expensive and necessary spending at the offensive line position to protect rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has passed for 906 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions despite missing four original starters across the line. Right guard Shaq Mason is the only original starter from the start of camp to start every game.
The Texans have started Josh Jones at left tackle the past two games with Tunsil sidelined. Tunsil badly wants to play and has been rehabbing constantly, but has been dealing with significant pain and stiffness in his knee along with swelling that affects mobility, according to sources. Now, Jones has a hand injury and he will likely miss this game, per sources.
Tunsil’s outlook remains complicated on a short-term basis and perhaps longer because of a problematic knee injury. Tunsil is in supreme physical condition, but has also dealt with the rigors of the game that has taken a toll on his knee. He was limited in practice last week, was listed as questionable initially on the injury report and then was ruled out for a road game against the Jaguars and he didn’t travel.
The Texans, after allowing a league-high 11 sacks in the first two games, allowed zero sacks against the Jaguars as Stroud was only hit four times.
If Tunsil is unable to play against the Steelers and Jones is out, then Fant could be shifted to left tackle or Geron Christian could be elevated from the practice squad and line up on the left side.
Tunsil was signed to a three-year, $75 million contract extension that made the three-time Pro Bowl left offensive tackle the highest paid offensive lineman in the league for the second time. And the Texans traded for and signed Mason, a former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter, to a three-year, $36 million deal.
Rookie starting center Juice Scruggs, a second-round draft pick from Penn State who was placed on short-term injured reserve with a strained hamstring, is expected to be activated as soon as next week with a chance of playing against the New Orleans Saints if he’s practicing next week before the Atlanta game, per sources.
On the injury front in the secondary, safety Jalen Pitre returned to practice Wednesday. after recovering from a bruised lung that sidelined him for the past two games.
The team captain is expected to return to the lineup for a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pitre is a team captain who led the Texans with 147 tackles and five interceptions as a rookie last season. The Texans exercised caution with the Stafford graduate, a second-round draft pick and former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Baylor.
“Yeah, encouraging with Jalen, feeling really good,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said last week. “Jalen is in good spirits. It’s great having him out. It’s great energy in the meetings and practice. Jalen has been a great leader for us, even though he hasn’t been out there physically on gameday, but he’s been leading throughout the week.
“That’s why Jalen is a special young man, and I’m happy to coach him because he brings everything that you want from a leader to the team. So, encouraged with him and encouraged with his process and on his way back. I think he will be good to go here pretty soon.”
Pitre was among four starters ruled out for this past game Sunday, including linebacker Denzel Perryman. Perryman is dealing with hand and wrist injuries and isn’t practicing. There is a good chance he could play in the next week or so with a cast on his hand.
Texans nickel Tavierre Thomas is expected to miss another game due to a broken hand that required surgery, per a league source. He was replaced against the Jacksonville Jaguars by Grayland Arnold at nickel with Alex Austin practicing at nickel, too.
Ryans attributed the extremely high amount of injuries to the normal rigors of the game.
The Texans have placed wide receiver Noah Brown (groin), cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (hamstring), Green, fullback Troy Hairston (back), Howard (hand surgery), punter Cameron Johnston (groin), wide receiver Jesse Matthews (torn anterior cruciate ligament), Quessenberry (torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments), defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (calf), offensive tackle D.J. Scaife (knee), Scruggs (hamstring) and offensive tackle Kilian Zierer (ankle) on injured reserve.
“Playing football for a long time, coaching for a while, there are a lot of things that happen on the field that you just can’t control, and that’s the nature of the game that we play football,” Ryans said. So, to try to pinpoint not getting us injured, that’s hard to do. You can’t justify how things happen. It’s football. Guys are making violent cuts, moving, reacting every play, so you can’t determine movements, that’s the name of our game: unpredicted movements.
“So, guys are stronger, faster now, and guys unfortunately get hurt, and that’s not new to the NFL. It’s happened since the game began. It’s a physical game, it’s a violent game, and it’s unfortunate that guys get injured at times. If we could control injuries, I promise you all across the NFL, there would not be an injury if anyone’s controlling it, but as you see, all over the NFL, it happens. And the main thing is, everybody needs to focus on that person and what they’re going through with those injuries. How hard is it on that guy?”
ROSTER UPDATE
The Texans signed offensive tackle Geron Christian to the practice squad, per his agent, Vince Taylor.
They also signed defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour to the practice squad and released defensive tackle Bruce Hector.
Christian was signed after a successful workout that included former Texans offensive tackle Julie’n Davenport, defensive backs Tae Hayes and Larry Brooks and wide receiver Jontre Kirklin, according to league sources.
Christian was the only player immediately signed to a contract.
This is his second stint with the Texans. He started eight of 14 games in 2021.
A former Washington third-round draft pick, Christian, 27, Christian has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has played in 48 games and 16 career starts.
He’s a former Washington third-round draft pick from Louisville.
Christian was with the Texans in 2021 when he was claimed off waivers.
He has also played for the Miami Dolphins.
HONORING WATT
When the Texans induct legendary retired defensive end J.J. Watt into the Ring of Honor on Sunday during halftime of their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they’ll do so with a significant ceremony planned around honoring him.
The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and former Walter Payton Man of the Year will become the third member of the Ring of Honor, joining the late owner and founder Bob McNair and wide receiver Andre Johnson.
Watt will be the honorary coin toss captain. He’ll be joined at the game by more than 90 fellow Legends, retired Texans standout players. Watt’s family will be in attendance, including his wife Keaila Ohai Watt, his parents, and his brothers, including Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt and Derek Watt.
Fans will receive special ‘Thank You, J.J.” or ‘Thank 99″ placards when they enter the stadium. Limited edition J.J. Watt merchandise collection is available on game day.
“H-town, boy am I excited to see you guys this weekend,” Watt said in a video released on social media. “I know you guys are excited. The way the boys played this weekend, DeMeco them humming. C.J. looked good. Will blocked a kick. I’m so excited to get back in front of you guys. Sunday is going to be a blast.
“NRG is going to be rocking. I’m looking forward to getting back in front of that crowd, having a great atmosphere watching the guys fly around and play and just feeling like I’m part of that Htown family again. I missed you guys very, very much. It’s going to be a great weekend. Let’s have ourselves a blast. See you Sunday.”