Houston Texans: Will Fuller ACL injury leaves questions for offense
Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller tore his ACL in the second half of the Texans’ win Thursday night. His presence will be missed for the rest of the season.
Just as soon as the Houston Texans offense looks stronger than it has all season, they are dealt another tough punch. This time it is a season-ending injury to wide receiver Will Fuller, who tore his ACL in the end zone on Thursday night.
Though the Texans gained their fifth straight win with a 42-23 victory over the Miami Dolphins in a game that included a grand performance from Fuller, who finished with five receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown — including a 73-yard touchdown — seeing Fuller’s ACL tear makes the win bittersweet.
As always with the NFL, it is now time for the “next man up” philosophy as Fuller begins his recovery for next season. This season, the Texans are currently in first place in the AFC South with a 5-3 record after eight games, with a game for next Sunday at the Denver Broncos for Week 9, followed with a bye week.
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Now questions remain for the Texans, including who will take over the role of Fuller? There is also the question that is there anyone on the roster who can fill that void? Are the Texans going to have to make a trade for a wide receiver to replace Fuller? Can the offense continue the momentum gained the past couple weeks?
Luckily, the Texans have a few extra days this week to help aid in the decision-making, but there is a lot on the line in whatever decision they make. Currently, the Texans’ wide receivers other than DeAndre Hopkins are rookie Keke Coutee (who has missed four games this season), along with fellow rookie Vyncint Smith and Sammie Coates.
Houston also has three wide receivers on the practice squad, and they are Cyril Grayson, Isaac Whitney and Malachi Dupre.
There is a lot to sort through with the Texans, and the offense will look a little different next week and beyond. The Texans are really going to miss Fuller and all that he brought as a No. 2 option to Hopkins this season.
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For Houston to overcome this, and by looking at their current options, can they depend on Coutee this season to stay healthy? That question alone could force the Texans to make some sort of trade before Week 9 and into the bye week. There is just too much on the line to not to add a viable No. 2 option opposite of Hopkins.