The Houston Texans have suffered their first setback in their revamped running back room, specifically with young veteran British Brooks. Any issue is worrisome. But Brooks is a versatile player for the Texans and, arguably, one of their unsung heroes.
The silver lining is that he is not dealing with a long-term issue.
However, the Texans will indeed be without him for multiple days of practice in training camp over the next several weeks.
Texans RB Room Suffers Setback With British Brooks
GettyBritish Brooks will miss time for the Texans in training camp.
Brooks, 26, is a former undrafted free agent who is entering his third season with the Texans and in the NFL.
He put in work this offseason to be more effective, making the news even tougher.
#Texans running back and special teams ace British Brooks broke his hand in practice, per a league source, and underwent surgery,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on August 5. “Outlook is a three-week recovery.”
Brooks has 18 carries for 80 yards in his career, setting career-best marks with 17 totes and 78 yards during the 2025 season.
However, his production is only a fraction of how Brooks provides value for the Texans.
“Since May, the Texans have had a growing list of injuries to key depth contributors,” Toro Times’ Clayton Anderson posted on X on August 5, reacting to Brooks’ injury and noting Houston is without linebackers and fellow special teamers E.J. Speed and Jake Hansen.
“While Brooks (and even Hansen) might be back sooner rather than later, these injuries early on are concerning to say the least from a roster finalization standpoint.”
Texans RB Room Takes Early Hit
GettyDavid Montgomery headlines a deep stable of RBs for the Texans.
The Texans are not hurting for running backs. They traded for David Montgomery this offseason, adding him to recent draft picks Woody Marks and Jawhar Jordan.
The Texans also have undrafted rookie free agents Noah Whittington and Josh Pitsenberger. But none of their other options have the size that Brooks does, and none of them double as lead blockers when the offense calls for it.
That is to say nothing of Brooks’ special teams contributions.
While Brooks has a minor role in the Texans’ offense, he is a core special teamer, logging 56% and 66% snap shares in 2024 and 2025, respectively, per Pro Football Reference.
British Brooks Worked Hard During 2026 Offseason
GettyBritish Brooks worked to get in better shape this offseason.
The setback is more of a blow for Brooks than the Texans, even given the various ways he contributes to the team.
Brooks spoke candidly about heading into his third season and the extra measures he took, losing 17 pounds. He jokingly attributed his weight gain to enjoying “too many” cinnamon rolls after an injury during his rookie season.
However, he also detailed a more serious answer, adding context to the unfortunate news.
“I played a lot heavier than I was the year before. So, I was just like, ‘I can’t do this no more.’ So, I was just like, ‘I’m gonna lose the weight,” Brooks said on “Texans Radio” in July. “We all agreed on just me losing weight. And we started to see, once I started losing weight towards the end of the season, I was moving like my old self. I was more fluid and stuff like that.”
Perhaps Brooks can garner more touches this coming season, but he must get back on the practice field for the Texans first.
Texans Get Bad News About Versatile Young Running Back