The Texans get LB Christian Harris back today for the first time this season. He's been out since training camp with a calf strain, allowing Henry To'oTo'o to play in his spot. Harris' return coincides with the first game of LB Azeez Al-Shaair's three-game suspension, though. And that leaves uncertainty around how Houston will allot LB snaps today against the Dolphins.
The Texans have this week opened the 21-day practice window for LB Christian Harris. The starting LB has been out since August with a calf injury that originated back in July.
The league is suspending Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair for three games following his hit to Trevor Lawrence's head in Sunday's game. The ban results not just from that hit but "repeat violations of the NFL's health and safety rules," according to the letter announcing the suspension.
Texans LB Henry To'oTo'o is inactive for today's game against the Colts with a concussion. That leaves Neville Hewitt and Jake Hansen as the top LBs for the second straight game. Each saw full playing time last week with To'oTo'o and Azeez Al-Shaair out against the Packers.
Texans LB Henry To'oTo'o landed in the concussion protocol after Sunday's win over the Patriots. That obviously challenges his status for a Week 7 visit to Green Bay. We'll have to watch for updates throughout the week on multiple injury situations among Houston LBs -- including the pending return of Christian Harris from IR.
The Texans have placed LB Christian Harris on IR to open the season because of a nagging calf strain. Harris missed a significant stretch of camp with the initial injury and then aggravated it upon his return. He has been designated to return, which means he's eligible to return as soon as Week 5 against the Bills.
The NFL has suspended Texans LB Denzel Perryman for three games over repeated violations of the player-safety rules, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Perryman incurred his seventh foul of the season Sunday for using his helmet in delivering a hit. This is particularly noteworthy timing because Perryman had also just reclaimed the playing-time lead among Houston LBs in that game, at 86%. Christian Harris followed at 64%, with Blake Cashman (55%) third. Harris would seem to be the best bet to lead playing time over the next few games. But it's worth remembering that he already got demoted to a reserve role after starting the season's first four games. We'll cautiously lean Harris, then Cashman for Week 11. But the best bet among Houston's LB corps is to not invest too heavily in anyone. Rookie Henry To'oTo'o might re-enter the mix as well, but he's dealing with an injury and recently got demoted after his own starting turn. We'll also see whether the Perryman suspension holds up through a likely appeal.
Texans LB Christian Kirksey has missed several recent days with a hamstring injury, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston. Rookie Henry To'oTo'o has reportedly filled in for Kirksey in the starting lineup. The team interestingly listed Denzel Perryman and Blake Cashman as starting LBs alongside Christian Harris on the initial "unofficial" depth chart. That could mean nothing, of course. And Wilson reports that Kirksey is expected to reclaim his post when ready. We consider Harris to be the only lineup lock at this point. Harris sits highest among the group in our IDP rankings.
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