To begin the week, the Houston Texans received a bummer of a notice from the NFL as first-year Texans defensive lineman, Denico Autry, was suspended the first six games of the season.
The suspension came due to Autry violating the league's policy on banned substances, however Autry did release a very honest statement in regards to the situation.
One positive, here, is the fact that Autry did not knowingly consume the banned substance.
#Texans DE Denico Autry is being suspended 6 games for violating NFL policy against performance enhancing drugs.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2024
He has released a statement saying, “It was important to me that the NFL know that I did not intentionally or even knowingly ingest a banned substance.“
Full: pic.twitter.com/1zc7k8eyTb
Bringing in Autry, the Texans greatly improved their pass rush with a guy who is coming off a career season, posting 11.5 sacks. This is a situation the Texans obviously would have preferred to avoid having to deal with, but it certainly could have been a lot worse.
Let's get one thing straight. If Autry had been unknowingly ingesting the banned substance, then he would have been suspended at one point or another. It was only a matter of time.
Had Autry gone even further without the league discovering the banned substance, his suspension could have affected the team during a more inconvenient stretch.
The Texans should be glad Autry's suspension is getting over and done with right away
Houston is going to miss Autry's pass rush prowess up front, without a doubt. But, if he was going to miss six games, regardless, we're sure thankful it's the beginning of the season. Let's look, real quick, at the Texans' first six games of the season, which Autry will be missing.
Week 1 at Indianapolis Colts: It's a divisional game, which is a bummer. However, it'll be Anthony Richardson's first game back after a major injury and only starting four games as a rookie.
Week 2 vs. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams might be the talk of the town, but he's still a rookie. Odds are, he isn't going to light up the Texans defense in just his second pro game.
Week 3 at Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota will be rolling out Sam Darnold. That's all you need to know.
Week 4 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence isn't a superstar, although he was just paid like one. Lawrence is just 2-4 versus the Texans in his young career.
Week 5 vs. Buffalo Bills: Welcome to the first real quarterback test of the season. Autry's presence will be missed against a Josh Allen-led offense, but how will that unit be doing without Stefon Diggs?
Week 6 at New England Patriots: New England will have either Jacoby Brissett or rookie Drake Maye under center. Whether it's the journeyman or a first-year pro, neither one should worry this Texans defense.
Now, had Autry missed a different stretch, later on in the season, the Texans could have had to face the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa, Lamar Jackson or Jordan Love without their big man in the middle.
The suspension is a negative, but because it's the early portion of the season rather than later on, Texans fans can at least see a silver lining within the situation. It could have been much, much worse. Houston will get through these first six weeks without Autry and welcome him back just in time to face off against a gauntlet of quarterbacks in the latter half of the year.