Houston Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard suffered a partially torn MCL after an original fear of the injury was a torn ACL, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Texans rookie offensive tackle Tytus Howard did NOT tear ACL, tests confirm. He has a partially torn medial collateral ligament and shouldn't require surgery and should be able to return this season, according to league sources
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 14, 2019
The original announcement from the Texans during the game was that Howard was ‘questionable' to return with what was classified as a knee injury. He ultimately did not return to game action against the Chiefs after being carted off the field.
The MCL injury is expected to cause Howard to miss ‘several weeks,' according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The expectation is that Roderick Johnson will fill in for the injured Howard while he remains sidelined.
#Texans RT Tytus Howard suffered a sprained MCL, source said. He’s expected to miss several weeks, but Houston avoids worst-case scenario.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 14, 2019
Despite being a rookie, Howard has played an integral role as part of the Texans' offensive line. Prior to the Texans' matchup with the Chiefs on Sunday, Howard ranked third among offensive tackles in pass block win rate, per Aaron Reiss of The Athletic.
J.J. Watt ranks 1st in DT pass rush win rate, Tytus Howard ranks 3rd in OT pass block win rate, and as a team, the #Texans are 10th in PRWR and 8th in PBWR. https://t.co/InNIIuUJW6
— Aaron Reiss (@aaronjreiss) October 8, 2019
The recent impressive pass blocking from Howard and the rest of the Texans' offensive line continued against the Chiefs. They did not allow a single sack in the game and afforded franchise-quarterback Deshaun Watson with a consistently clean pocket.
Maintaining effective pass blocking without Howard could prove to be a challenge but will be necessary. The recent improvement in this area has played a pivotal role in the team's two-game winning streak.
The Texans selected former Alabama State tackle Tytus Howard with the 23rd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The team's priority was to bolster their offensive line to better protect Watson and Howard has aided in doing exactly that.
Follow Us
Subscribe