The Houston Texans offensive line continues to be sucker punched with injuries. Star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, a key cog on the outside, has been ruled out against the Jaguars with a lingering knee injury per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
On #Texans Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, knee injury he's dealing with is painful and involves stiffness in joint, per league sources, adding it's a difficult injury to manage and rest may help situation on short-term basis. @KPRC2 Josh Jones replaced him against Ravens and… https://t.co/Q1G0dUPJ0c
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 23, 2023
In turn, veteran swing tackle Josh Jones appears to be in line to make another start for the team. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones has a 45.8 overall grade in 161 offensive snaps. The veteran has amassed four penalties and a sack allowed in two weeks of action.
Offensive line troubles have been at the forefront of conversations for the Texans' struggles to begin the regular season. With a tough Jacksonville edge rush on the horizon, losing a player of Tunsil’s caliber will certainly test the unit further. Tunsil’s injury was not the only tough blow Houston received.
The second blow is to a key member in the secondary. NFL insider Ian Rappaport reported today that sophomore cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is set to hit the injured list with a hamstring injury sustained during Wednesday’s practice.
The #Texans are placing former first-round CB Derek Stingley Jr. on Injured Reserve with a hamstring injury, source says.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 23, 2023
Hamstring injuries are nothing new for the young defensive back. A similar hamstring injury derailed a promising rookie season after nine games, causing Stingley to miss eight games of the 2022 season. A similar timeline of six to eight weeks is expected for this latest injury.
Looking ahead to Houston’s Week 3 bout with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team will be in a tough spot without two of their key contributors. How will the offensive line fair without their anchor? Can veteran corner Shaq Griffin fill the massive shoes that Stingley Jr. left behind?
All of these questions will be answered on Sunday. For the Houston Texans and other teams around the NFL, injuries are the name of the game. How Houston will overcome them is the storyline worth keeping an eye on.