After not practicing all week with various injuries, four key starters for the Houston Texans are expected to miss Sunday’s Week Four matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Houston reporter Aaron Wilson.
Left tackle Laremy Tunsil, offensive lineman Josh Jones, linebacker Denzel Perryman and cornerback Tavierre Thomas are all set to miss Sunday’s game after not practicing Friday. The Texans held practice inside NRG Stadium Friday morning, according to Wilson.
Jones started in Week Three at left tackle against the Jacksonville Jaguars but has missed practice all week with a hand injury. That will force practice squad left tackle Austin Deculus into a starting role against a fearsome Pittsburgh Steelers defensive front.
Tunsil has missed the last two weeks with a knee injury and will now miss his third straight game after playing all 77 snaps against the Baltimore Ravens in Week One. Jones was filling in for Tunsil in recent weeks, which pushed former Steelers lineman Kendrick Green into the starting lineup at left guard the last two games.
Defensively, Perryman played the first two weeks of the season for the Texans but missed Week Three with the hand/wrist injury. He didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday and missed Friday’s practice, ruling him out for the game.
Thomas, who had hand surgery after the Week Two loss to the Houston Texans, will miss his second straight game while recovering. He took over in the slot for the released Desmond King, who is now a member of the Steelers.
Without four key starters, the Texans have a makeshift roster entering a big matchup with the Steelers on the same day that they will induct franchise icon J.J. Watt into their Ring of Honor.
