Things just got a little bit easier for Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt in the Week Four matchup on the road against the Houston Texans.
The Texans announced Wednesday that they have placed starting right tackle Tytus Howard on injured reserve, keeping him out for at least the next four weeks as he continues to recover from the broken hand suffered in training camp.
Howard got hurt just days after signing a lucrative extension with the Texans. Following the injury, Howard underwent surgery on Aug. 7, which put him at a timeline to return around four to six weeks, according to previous reporting from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The four-week timeline would have had him back for the Texans’ season opener against Baltimore this Sunday, but his recovery hasn’t occurred as quickly as the Texans hoped, landing him on IR.
Howard will now miss matchups against the Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers before he is eligible to return from IR.
In early August, Howard inked a three-year, $56 million contract extension with the Texans, giving Houston a strong bookend tackle pairing with Laremy Tunsil in front of rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Howard was a first-round pick in 2019 out of Alabama State and has developed into one of the better right tackles in football.
Howard has started 54 games in the NFL with most of his playing time coming at right tackle in Houston. Last season, Howard was charged with allowing three sacks, five quarterback hits and 30 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. He registered a grade of 70.2 from PFF.
Veteran tackle George Fant, who is listed as the backup left tackle, will likely take Howard’s place. Recently acquired Josh Jones is listed as Howard’s backup at right tackle, but he’s also listed as Houston’s starter at left guard.
