The Houston Texans’ first injury report of the week brought a mixed bag as they prepare for Week 7 against the New York Giants.
After Wednesday’s practice, a cluster of familiar names showed up on the report, with several players listed as either did not participate or limited. The team is managing a few key situations on both sides of the ball, and some of them have been lingering for more than a week.
Here’s the full Wednesday report:
LB Azeez Al-Shaair (knee)
S Jalen Pitre (shoulder)
S Reed Blankenship (concussion/hand)
RB David Montgomery (groin)
OT Blake Fisher (thumb)
OT Trent Brown (wrist)
TE Dalton Schultz (calf)
WR Nico Collins (rest)
LB Henry To'oTo'o (shoulder)
DE Will Anderson Jr. (rest)
DE Jadeveon Clowney (knee)
DE Logan Hall (knee)
David Montgomery and Jalen Pitre have been working through injuries since the Texans’ Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans. Both missed the trip to London for the Jacksonville Jaguars game, and Wednesday marked another missed practice as the team opened its three-day work week for the Giants.
When those injuries were announced a couple of weeks ago, both were labeled week-to-week. That still leaves some room for hope that they can be available on Sunday, but there’s also no guarantee either one is back yet.
Reed Blankenship is another name to watch closely. DeMeco Ryans said earlier in the week that the veteran safety is in concussion protocol, and that kept him out on Wednesday.
He also appears to be dealing with a hand issue. If that situation doesn’t improve quickly, Week 7 could be out of reach, with a possible return coming after the Texans’ bye in Week 9.
If Blankenship can’t go, M.J. Stewart would be in line to start at safety alongside Calen Bullock.
Dalton Schultz is also worth monitoring as the week goes on. The tight end appeared to pick up a calf injury during the London trip against Jacksonville, though he stayed in and finished the game. That’s usually a sign he has a real shot to play this weekend, but if he’s unable to suit up, Foster Moreau would become an even bigger name to follow after his two-touchdown day.
There was better news on Tank Dell, who is set to return to the field this weekend. He has already stacked multiple full practices across the past three weeks and will be designated for return from injured reserve for his first game in more than 650 days.
Ryans kept the message simple when talking about Dell’s comeback: "I expect Tank just to be himself, and just play the offense the right way," Ryans said. "No huge expectations for what he needs to do.
We're all just going to be excited... I'm just thankful, grateful for him to have this opportunity to return."
"I don't have any expectations, I'm just happy to see him out there. And that's the only thing that matters."
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