The Houston Texans' season has been defined, in part, by the injuries that have held them back. They entered the season with Super Bowl expectations, which still remain. They are 6-3 through nine games played and are coming up on a brutal matchup against the Detroit Lions.
The squad is without star wide receiver Stefon Diggs -- who is out for the rest of the season with an ACL tear. Superstar wide receiver Nico Collins has missed four games on Injured Reserve, and might not quite be ready to return against the Lions.
To make matters worse for Houston, superstar defensive end Will Anderson Jr. has now been listed as a non-participant while being sidelined at practice on Thursday.
Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. He left Thursday’s loss to the Jets but briefly returned before leaving for good.
He had no stats in eight snaps.
Defensive end Derek Barnett (calf/shoulder), defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi (groin/shoulder), defensive end Dylan Horton (illness) and running back Dameon Pierce (groin) also missed the session.
Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), linebacker Jake Hansen (ankle), defensive end Jerry Hughes (hip), offensive guard Shaq Mason (hip), cornerback Jeff Okudah (quad), left tackle Laremy Tunsil (rest) and safety Jimmie Ward (groin) were limited.
Offensive guard Jarrett Patterson (concussion) was a full participant.
Reporters at the open portion of Thursday’s practice said Anderson was absent for the second day in a row. Head coach DeMeco Ryans didn’t expand on Anderson’s condition when he spoke to reporters on Wednesday, but all available evidence points to a missed game.
Anderson, a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year, suffered an ankle injury during the first quarter after teammate Neville Hewitt landed on him while trying to make a tackle on running back Breece Hall. He was able to work out on the sidelines and tried to make a comeback three separate times, but he only played three snaps before missing the second half.
Anderson dealt with a lingering ankle injury through this preseason and missed two games last season because of it en route to winning the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. He's
Players who don't practice the first two days of the week usually are ruled out for Sunday's matchup. Anderson, who entered last week as the NFL leader in tackles for loss, likely must practice in some capacity during Friday's walkthroughs if he plans to play.
It's not impossible for a player for a player to miss two days of practice and then return for gameday. Defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi didn't practice until Friday's walkthrough before the Texans' Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers after dealing with a shoulder injury.
Tight end Dalton Schultz played after an ankle injury sidelined him for two days prior to Week 2's primetime matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Both practiced on Friday, however, giving them a chance to show up on the injury report as “questionable.” Friday will be perhaps the most crucial day for evaluation of Anderson’s status.
Anderson (ankle) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Lions.
It's no surprise that Anderson won't suit up Sunday, as he was unable to practice all week after sustaining an ankle injury in the Texans' Week 9 loss to the Jets. Houston could struggle rushing the passer in Week 10 without Anderson, especially against a Lions offensive line that has allowed just 19 sacks in eight games this season. Derek Barnett will likely start opposite Danielle Hunter on the Texans' defensive line while Anderson is sidelined.
Watching the game statuses roll out for Houston on Friday will be crucial as it'll make a big difference to how they match up against the Lions.
The Texans are a 3.5-point underdog to the Lions in Week 10 as Detroit is 7-1 on the season and project to be the top team in the NFC at this point in the season.
The second-year defensive end did not partake in drills during the open media session and was listed as a non-participant on the injury report. Barring a last-second return on Friday, it seems unlikely that Anderson will play on Sunday Night Football as Houston debuts its new “Battle Red” jerseys.
Anderson didn’t practice all week and will miss Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, according to the Texans’ injury report, released Friday.
Earlier in the week, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said he thought Anderson was progressing.
“He’s doing well,” Ryans said at Wednesday’s press conference. “We’ll see where he ends up.
Anderson won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, recording seven sacks, 29 solo tackles and 22 quarterback hits in 15 games. Through nine games in 2024, Anderson has notched 7.5 sacks and 27 tackles.
Needless to say, Anderson’s presence will be missed against Detroit’s stout offense.
The Lions rank first in the NFL in scoring offense (32.3 points per game) and are seventh in yards per game (369.6). They’re also second in the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns.
Sunday’s game between the Lions and Texans will begin at 8:20 p.m. ET.
Being without Anderson would be a major blow, as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is a major force on the Texans' defense line. Running back Dameon Pierce was also a non-participant for a second straight practice.
Houston Texans fans collectively gasped when star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. left last Thursday’s game against the New York Jets with an ankle injury.
Without the former No. 3 overall pick, Houston likely turns to a combination of Derek Barnett and Denico Autry as the top two pass-rushers opposite Danielle Hunter.
Much like Nico Collins, Anderson was on the trajectory for a career-defining season. He throttled opponents with five sacks over his past four games, leading to his first AFC Defensive Player of the Month honor.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The game will be nationally televised on NBC.
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.
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