The Texans’ defensive line just took a hit - and a big one at that. Veteran defensive lineman Mario Edwards is done for the season after suffering a ruptured pectoral muscle.
He’s headed to injured reserve and will begin the rehab process soon. The silver lining?
These types of muscle injuries typically come with a recovery window of about three months, so all signs point to Edwards being ready to go for the 2026 campaign.
For Houston, the loss isn’t just about depth - it’s about experience and versatility. Edwards, now 31, has been around the league and knows how to contribute in multiple fronts. He’s not a flashy name, but he’s the kind of player who does the dirty work in the trenches, freeing up teammates and plugging gaps that don’t show up on the stat sheet.
This season, Edwards played in 14 games for the Texans, tallying 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The numbers won’t jump off the page, but his presence on the defensive line rotation gave Houston a reliable veteran who could hold his own against the run and occasionally collapse the pocket.
Edwards' NFL journey has been anything but linear. Drafted in the second round by the Raiders back in 2015, he was once viewed as a foundational piece.
But after injuries and inconsistency, the Raiders moved on during the 2018 preseason. From there, Edwards bounced around - a season with the Giants, followed by stops with the Saints, Bears, Jaguars, Titans, and Seahawks.
Despite the constant movement, he carved out a role as a dependable rotational lineman.
Houston brought him in on a one-year deal in 2024, and clearly liked what they saw - enough to re-sign him this past offseason to a two-year, $9.5 million contract. That move spoke volumes about the trust the coaching staff had in his ability to contribute both on the field and in the locker room.
Now, with Edwards sidelined, the Texans will need to lean more heavily on their younger defensive linemen to step up. It’s a blow, no doubt, but also an opportunity for others to earn more snaps down the stretch.
Edwards, meanwhile, will shift his focus to recovery. Given the expected timeline, he should be fully healthy in time for offseason workouts. And if his career has shown us anything, it’s that he knows how to battle back.