The Texans’ linebacker picture took another hit on Saturday, and it may push Houston toward adding more help before camp really gets rolling.
Jake Hansen left practice with what DeMeco Ryans called an ankle injury, and the Texans head coach said the veteran linebacker is now week-to-week.
"With Jake, Jake [Hansen] had an ankle injury," Ryans said after the Texans' training camp practice on Saturday. "We'll see.
He's kind of week-to-week. So, we'll see how he progresses throughout camp."
That’s a frustrating development for a unit that was already bracing for life without EJ Speed. Earlier this offseason, Speed suffered a quadriceps injury and is projected to miss the entire 2026 season.
Hansen had been in the mix to absorb some of the snaps Speed leaves behind as Houston’s LB3. The four-year Texans veteran looked like a legitimate contender for that job, but any extended time away from camp makes that path tougher to navigate.
Houston still has options on the roster. The team traded for Marte Mapu earlier this offseason, drafted Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher, and has Jamal Hill, who is entering his fourth pro season. That group gives the Texans bodies to work with, and the rookies could factor in quickly if they’re ahead of schedule.
But the Texans have also already started exploring the market. On Friday, they reportedly worked out free agents Sione Takitaki and Jahlani Tavai, a sign that the team may be looking for another veteran to join the competition.
Either addition would be a low-risk move with some upside. If one of them impresses, Houston could get a useful piece for defense or special teams. If it doesn’t pan out, the Texans can move on by the end of August.
There’s also still a chance Hansen returns in time to reclaim his expected role on special teams and mix in on defense. If that happens, Houston may not feel pressured to carry an extra veteran into Week 1.
For now, though, the possibility is clearly on the table. With Hansen expected to miss time, the Texans appear to be keeping the door open for one more linebacker addition.
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Texans Suddenly Have A Bigger Linebacker Problem Than Expected
The Texans linebacker room has gone from a spot the team hoped to sort out in camp to one with real urgency. Jason Hansen went down with a foot injury during team drills, and the loss lands especially hard because Houston was already working around a thin group at the position. Hansen had been in the mix to compete for the No. 3 role behind starters Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry TooToo, so this was one of the quieter battles worth watching this summer.
E.J. Speeds quadriceps injury has made the situation even tougher, with the possibility he could be out for the season. For a defense that needs dependable depth behind its top two linebackers, the timing is far from ideal, and it leaves Houston with more questions than answers as camp continues. The Texans were trying to build stability at linebacker, but the injury pileup has turned that into one of the teams most unsettled spots. [Read more 🡒]
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For Houston, that kind of controlled friction is part of the point. Ryans has built a reputation around physical, high-energy practices, and a sideline dust-up like this can be read less as a problem than as a sign the message is getting through. The challenge, as always, is keeping that intensity pointed in the right direction once the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
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DeMeco Ryans has pointed to Kleins physical traits and the upside they bring to Houstons passing game, which is why this feels like more than a developmental project. The Texans do not need him to be finished product right away, but the early signs suggest a real role could be forming as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]