As the Houston Texans offense looks to sustain the momentum they've managed to build over their last two games, they'll be doing so on Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks without a key piece of their passing attack. Or perhaps more accurately, they'll be doing so without someone who is theoretically a key piece of their passing attack.
After re-injuring a pre-existing hamstring injury in practice on Friday, the Houston Texans made the decision to rule Christian Kirk out for Monday night's game. It will be the third game that Kirk has missed already this season, after missing the first two games of the year with a hamstring as well.
The Texans didn't do much to bolster CJ Stroud's supporting cast in the offseason, so almost by default, Christian Kirk was viewed as the most consequential addition to Houston's offensive attack. For the price of 2026 7th round pick, the Texans acquired the 28-year-old wideout from Jacksonville back in March, with the expectation that he'd slide in seamlessly as the second option for Stroud behind Nico Collins.
Although Kirk is by no means a star, he's someone who theoretically could emerge as the 2nd option in an effective passing offense. Over 46 games between 2021 and 2023, Kirk caught 218 passes for 2,877 yards and 16 touchdowns with the Jaguars and Arizona Cardinals.
But again, the Christian Kirk experience in Houston has been mainly theoretical thus far. In three games, Kirk has caught 10 passes for 109 yards, taking a backseat to the likes of tight end Dalton Schultz, who is second in the team in receptions this year behind only Nico Collins.
With Kirk officially unable to go, it could mean an increase in opportunities for rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Fellow former Iowa State Cyclone Xavier Hutchinson, who scored a pair of touchdowns in Houston's 44-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago.