2 min read • August 14, 2021
Posted in
Houston Texans
QB Tyrod Taylor -
Taylor was finally cleared to play after a rib block injection ordeal, which caused him to miss four weeks. During his absence, QB Justin Herbert showed he was ready to start and stole the job from Taylor. Since Taylor’s injury took four weeks to heal, it left us wondering how big the air leak puncture was and thinking that the injury may have been a bigger issue than initially thought. The seventh-year QB was able to back up Herbert for the rest of the year without issue and now may be the de facto starter in Houston as Watson deals with his off-field issues. The "collapsed" lung issue is a complete non-factor with no increased chance of recurrence.
RB David Johnson -
Johnson dealt with a rather serious concussion that caused him to miss three games, including a stay on the IR list. He also missed one game due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID list. The 29-year-old running back finished last year with 691 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns in 12 games. He also added 33 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson comes into the season healthy, but of course faces some increased risk for concussion.
RB Phillip Lindsay -
The shifty running back had his mobility limited last year by a slew of injuries. Lindsay missed three of the first four games due to a turf toe injury, then dealt with a knee issue and concussion midseason. Those two issues did not cause him to miss a game, but he finished the season on IR due to his hip and ongoing knee issue. The former Bronco missed a total of five games, finishing the year with 502 rushing yards. He comes into this season healthy, but the multitude of injuries may ultimately catch up with him.
WR Anthony Miller-
Unfortunately his shoulder seems to have been dislocated again, but this time it is the other side by video. The new Houston Texas wide receiver while fending off a tackler dislocated his right shoulder anteriorly and inferiorly and was carted off the field. He has a history of shoulder issues in the past. In 2014 as a rookie with the Chicago Bears, he dislocated his left shoulder and finished the season with a harness and then had surgery. The next year in 2019, he re-dislocated the same left shoulder at the end of the season, and had surgery again. All these injuries have contributed to derail this one's promising rookie draft pick. The question is whether he can try and use a brace and finish the season like he did in his rookie campaign on his left side, or whether he will need surgery. Either way, this is a significant hurdle for his ongoing career given his new team. In order to play through, he will need to wear a brace which would limit his catch radius, he was able to do so his rookie year but suffered several repeat episodes where he missed time. Miller was set to be WR3 or even WR2 in this offense, but this setback will limit his ceiling this year regardless of how it plays out.
TE Jordan Akins -
Deshaun Watson’s favorite red zone target dealt with a high ankle sprain last year and a concussion that cost him a combined three games. Atkins returned Week 9 and played well to finish the season, posting 403 yards while snagging 37 catches. Akins is healthy coming into the year and could prove to be a reliable target for either Watson or Tyrod Taylor.
OL Marcus Cannon - The new free agent signing has begun his Texans tenure on the PUP list due him recovering from a cleanup surgery on his knee in June. He is expected to be ready for the 2021 season but may miss most of camp/preseason.
LB Christian Kirksey -
The 28-year-old linebacker was one of Green Bay’s key free agent signings in the 2020 offseason. The Packers’ defense missed his presence when he sat out Weeks 4-9 with a pectoral injury. Injuries of this sort can often be season-ending. His 2019 season was cut short by a pectoral tear and he spent a good chunk of time on IR in 2020 as he healed the re-injured muscle. He was able to return and finish the season out, but wasn't able to perform at his usual level. Kirksey finished the year with two sacks, two interceptions and 77 combined tackles in 11 games for the Packers. He will be looking for a better start with the Houston Texans. Returns from pec tear are reliable, meaning Kirksey should be fine heading into 2021.
S Justin Reid -
The stud safety was placed on IR with a hand injury, missing the final three games of the season. The Texans were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs by then, meaning putting him on IR may have been a precaution. The 24-year-old out of Stanford finished last year with two sacks and 83 combined tackles. We don't see how the hand injury will negatively impact him this year.
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