DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans already announced that they would be without linebacker Henry To’oTo’o for “some time,” according to head coach DeMeco Ryans.
It appears that To’oTo’o’s timeline for return from a shoulder injury that he suffered in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills will be at least one month as the team has made a roster move in wake of the latest update.
However, To’oTo’o is expected to miss much more time than that.
“Texans starting linebacker Henry To’oTo’o suffered a severe enough shoulder injury Sunday that he will be placed on injured reserve, per league sources,” KPRC’2 Aaron Wilson wrote in an article on X on September.”
“The recovery for To’oTo’o is expected to take a few months, per sources, beyond the usual less than four weeks a team will carry an injured player on the active roster.”
This is obviously a significant loss for the Texans. To’oTo’o has started 36 of the 47 games he has appeared in since the Texans selected him in the fifth round (167th overall) of the 2023 draft, a class that also produced C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and Tank Dell.
He has 200 total tackles over the past two seasons. But the loss goes beyond the individual.
Texans Linebacker Corps Takes Another Hit With Henry To’oTo’o News
To’oTo’o finished the loss to the Bills with 2 total tackles. His upcoming absence leaves the Texans extremely thin at the linebacker spot in terms of starting experience.
The Texans are already without LB3 E.J. Speed. Speed suffered a quad injury during the team’s offseason program. He is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and is expected to miss the 2026 season, or at least most of it.
The Texans have four other linebackers on the 53-man roster.
Only two of them–Jake Hansen and Jake Hummel–are veterans. However, both a primarily special teams contributors.
The Texans’ two other LBs are both rookie draft picks, but both are Day 3 selections. Wade Woodaz, a fourth-round selection, had 1 total tackle in the loss to the Bills. Seventh-round selection Aiden Fisher was inactive for that contest.
Houston Texans Set to Make Roster Move Amid Bad News on 36-Game Starter