Houston Texans defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. is out for the season and his final football-related act will be paying a fine for an infraction that he committed on the field.
“#Texans defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr., out for season with torn ACL, denied appeal of $8,263 for contact at or below #Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s knees for a low hit in season-opener, per a league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on October 1. “He was flagged for roughing the passer.”
Edwards, a former starter for the Texans, committed the infraction during the third quarter of their 36-31 loss to the Bills, gifting his opponent 15 free yards and a fresh set of downs on a second-and-9 play from Houston’s 42-yard line.
The fine is still notably light for the infraction.
Per NFL rules, Edwards faced the possibility of receiving a fine as high as $17,911 for a first-time offense. A second infraction could incur a penalty as high as $23,882.
Mario Edwards Jr., Texans Committing Fineable Offenses at High Rate
Edwards is not alone, as this is his first fine of the 2026 season. But the Texans have committed multiple infractions that have drawn financial repercussions, most of which occurred before a game even began.
Teammates Azeez Al-Shaair, David Montgomery, Jaylin Smith, and Trent Brown have all received fines for uniform violations.
Smith notably had his fine reduced but picked up another for a similar violation.
Al-Shaair graduated with a hit on a defenseless player in Week 3 (Colts WR Josh Downs). Fellow Texans linebacker Jamal Hill was also fined over that game. He was docked $5,972 for “unnecessary roughness,” which is a light fine for that infraction.
Edwards and the Texans have already become regular recipients of disciplinary actions by the NFL office.
That is not the kind of trend a winless team wants to maintain.
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