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Texans Suffer Brutal Injury to Key Position in Training Camp
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- Texans Suffer Brutal Injury to Key Position in Training Camp
The Houston Texans are in the middle of a heated offseason as they look to follow a playoff appearance with another one in 2026. One position could hold the team back.
The Texans ' linebacker room suffered another loss. Houston linebacker Jason Hansen suffered a foot injury adding to an already thin backup linebacker room. It was not the news Texans fans wanted to hear heading out of camp.
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The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander discussed the injury to a key player at a position of need. Here's some of what Alexander had to say on Hansen's injury .
"Hansen went down during team drills after attempting to make a play with the second-team defense. Ryans stopped practice while trainers checked on Hansen. After he was loaded onto the cart with a towel over his face, his teammates came over to pat him on the back.
It is too early to determine the extent of Hansen's injury. But losing him for any extended period could present problems for a position group that was already beginning to show signs of thinning.
Earlier this offseason, the team's No. 3 linebacker, E.J. Speed , suffered a quadriceps injury in in a weight-room incident that could sideline him for the entire season, though that has not been determined. Even so, the Texans are not banking on Speed returning this season.
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Hansen was expected to compete for the No. 3 linebacker spot behind Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'oTo'o, along with several other candidates, including Marte Mapu , Jamal Hill and rookies Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher."
Jul 30, 2026;Houston, Texas, USA;HoustonTexanslinebackerAzeez Al-Shaair (0) andlinebackerJamal Hill (56) andlinebackerAiden Fisher (59) during training camp atHoustonMethodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The loss of Speed in addition to Hansen definitely hurts the Texans' depth. The degree to which it diminishes the Texans is anybody's guess.
The Texans will need more than two linebackers to be an effective defense. Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To'oTo'o add plenty of value, but the likelihood is that neither of them will play every snap of the year at linebacker for Houston.
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You simply can't assume that any player will maintain full health all year. Thus the importance of finding suitable replacements and preventative measures to keep players healthy.
Hansen will be missed, though his name may not be recognized widely for what he is capable of as a player. We'll see how long it takes for him to get back to the field.
The Texans will look to get as healthy as possible as they gear up for the 2026 season.
