NFL Trade Deadline 2013: 5 Bold Trades The Houston Texans Should Make

Oct 20, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Houston Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing (56) is helped after injuring his leg against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The Texans should trade Brian Cushing: I know this is harsh, but how many more leg injuries can this man come back from? I love the way Cushing plays, but in what is his fifth NFL season, the inside linebacker has played just two full regular seasons.

He played a full season in 2009 and 2011, and in the other three seasons, out of a possible 48 regular-season games Cushing has played in 24 of those games. The past two seasons, out of 32 possible regular-season games, Cushing has played in 12 games.

Cushing was playing well this year with 48 combined tackles, one forced fumble and one interception.

Let’s face it, the injuries Cushing has suffered aren’t mild ones, with a broken fibula, a torn LCL and last year a torn ACL … how is that going to affect his play in future seasons?

It may be harsh to try to trade an injured player, but how much can he help if he’s sitting in the training room?

My wish is for Cushing to get healthy and play 10 full seasons for the Texans, but what are the odds he plays a full season in any of the next five? I wish him a speedy recovery, but how much longer can the Texans wait for him to have a full season?