Head coach DeMeco Ryans was holding out hope, but the Houston Texans will need to alter their plans for the 2026 season following the latest roster update, specifically regarding veteran linebacker E.J. Speed.
Speed suffered a quad injury during the Texans’ offseason program.
He was already expected to miss time. Even the most optimistic projected timelines still put his return deep into the 2026 season. The situation is more dire than initially expected.
Texans Lose E.J. Speed for 2026 Regular Season After Further Testing
GettyThe Houston Texans will be without veteran linebacker E.J. Speed for the 2026 regular season.
“Source: Further testing for #Texans’ E.J. Speed reveals fully torn quadriceps tendon, surgery successful, out for entire regular season,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported on X on June 2.
In his official report, Wilson wrote, “Texans veteran linebacker E.J. Speed is expected to miss the entire regular season after further examination of his quadriceps revealed a completely torn tendon that has been successfully surgically repaired, per a league source.
“Speed partially tore his quadriceps muscle, and fully tore his quadriceps tendon while performing a one-legged, split squat during the Texans’ offseason workout program. The initial prognosis was a partial tear of the quadriceps tendon, which would have allowed Speed to return at some point during the season, perhaps in the October to November range. Now, that is not the case.”
The Texans re-signed Speed on a two-year, $13 million contract before the offseason began.
He is coming off a first year in Houston in which he recorded 62 total tackles. He officially started nine of the 16 games he played in.
Speed, who turned 31 on June 1, entered the league as a fifth-round pick. The Indianapolis Colts selected him 164th overall in the 2019 draft. He has 416 combined stops, 6 forced fumbles, 2.0 sacks, and 1 interception in his career so far.
Wilson said there remains a “slim, outside chance” of Speed returning in the playoffs.
That is not the expectation, though. So, the Texans must turn to a mix of backup options to take his place, barring another move.
Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o will continue to start, while Aiden Fisher, Jake Hansen, Jake Hummel, Jamal Hill, Marte Mapu, and Wade Woodaz will compete to fill whatever snaps the Texans give to their LB3 this season.
The Texans have a strong nickel package with Jalen Pitre in the slot, which is also an option.
DeMeco Ryans Gets Honest About E.J. Speed
GettyHouston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans’ recent remarks on E.J. Speed are not out of the ordinary.
“E.J. Speed, he had surgery last week, and we’ll see how that recovery process goes with him,” Ryans told Texans beat reporters on June 2. “That’s the update so far.”
Ryans is typically reserved when discussing player injuries.
Still, his comments this time around were even more so than his previous remarks regarding Speed and the Texans’ optimism about the veteran linebacker potentially returning at some point during the 2026 season.
“Unfortunately, we won’t have E.J. for some time, but we’ll see how that recovery process goes,” Ryans said on May 28. I’m hopeful that we’ll get E.J. back at some point this year.”
How the Texans address the loss will be something to monitor during the offseason program.
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