Head coach DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans will not have Nico Collins or Ed Ingram in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the bad news could extend beyond this week for at least one of the veteran starters.
#Texans right guard Ed Ingram groin injury could sideline him for at least two weeks, per a league source,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on September 18.
“Next man up: veteran guard and former All-Pro selection Wyatt Teller.”
“I feel good coming out of preseason. Couple reps, things to fix on. Always got stuff to improve on. But wherever they need me, I’m ready to go and ready to play. So, I’m excited,” Teller told Wilson after practice on Friday.
“I was talking to some of the guys about it. It’s like, you play seven years in a position, you feel comfortable. But the technique, all that different stuff. So, still got a lot of work to do, working on just what coach wants and how we do things here. So, there’s definitely some stuff to improve on. But overall it’s comfortable.”
Teller touted the two-decades worth of experience between him and stating right tackle Trent Brown, as well as their work together during the offseason.
Still, it will require an adjustment.
Ingram injured his groin in practice on Thursday. That came after the Collins suffered his injury in practice on Wednesday, leaving the Texns without three offensive starters for the Bengals game.
They were already going to be without wide receiver Jayden Higgns, who tore his ACL in training camp.
Additionally, the Texans are down two starting linebackers in Henry To’oTo’o and E.J. Speed.
Texans’ Kayshon Boutte Gets Honest Amid Nico Collins, Ed Ingram News
While the Texans will turn to Teller in Ingram’s place, trade pickup Kayshon Boutte will have to step up even more with Collins joining Higgins on the sidelines.
That is, at least temporarily.
“We worked when Nico was here. He not here, obviously, but we still got to do the same thing we’ve been doing. We depending on him, he depending on us,” Boutte told reporters after Friday’s session.
Boutte said that he feels good with the playbook now that the Texans are game planning rather than installing or teaching him something new every day.
He did not mince words that the Texans will miss Collins, though.
A two-time Pro Bowler coming off three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Collins has been a security blanket for C.J. Stroud. Without him or Ingram, even with Boutte and Teller in place to pick up the slack, things figure to be that much more difficult to the Texans.
DeMeco Ryans, Texans Rule Out 4 Players for Bengals Game
As if losing Collins and Ingram were not enough, the Texans’ final injury report also revealed that Jadeveon Clowney and Jake Hummel will miss Week 2.
Neither player practiced all week.
Getting over either absence could be trickier than it seems, with Ryans and the Texans having suffered multiple injuries at both defensive end and linebacker already. They will make no excuses as they look to notch their first victory of the season, though.
Texans Get Bad News Amid Final Decision on Nico Collins & Jadeveon Clowney