Christian Harris will play for the Houston Texans in 2024. It just won’t be against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 8 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Texans are placing the third-year linebacker and veteran defensive tackle Kurt Hinish on the short-term injured reserve to begin the season. Neither will count against the roster and both will be eligible to return after four weeks.
Hinish left early with an injury in Saturday’s 17-15 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Harris, who had been dealing with a strained calf since the start of training camp, returned to practice two weeks ago but reaggravated the muscle the same day.
The Texans believe Harris could be in for a breakout year similar to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. A former third-round pick out of BYU, Warner went from a quality starter to a consistent standout in Year 2 under DeMeco Ryans’ teaching.
In Year 3, Warner became one of the top linebackers in the NFL, earning All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod in 2020. Harris might not be able to jump to that level this fall, but he flashed the potential as a rising star late last year to help Houston secure its first division title since 2019.
Harris is coming off his best NFL season after recording a career-high 101 tackles and two sacks. In the wild-card round victory over the Cleveland Browns, Harris made the play of his career with a 36-yard interception returned for a touchdown against Joe Flacco to extend Houston’s lead by 24.
In his place, the Texans will rely on a combination of Henry To’oTo’o and Jake Hansen next to veteran Azeez Al-Shaair. To’oTo’o, Harris’ former teammate at Alabama, has seen most first-team reps and looks more comfortable heading into his second season playing in space.
“Henry’s a dog,” safety Jalen Pitre said earlier this preseason. “He’s done nothing but show up every day with a relentless mindset ready to go to work and he’s bringing it when he gets there.
“Henry is one of those guys that are going to hit you and let you know about it. So, I’m trying to get like Henry in that regard.”
