While the Houston Texans have options on the defensive line, the depth has taken a hit over the past two weeks.
Two weeks ago, Houston lost Tim Settle Jr. to a season-ending foot injury. Fast-forward 14 days and another name is off to the injured reserve ahead of the AFC playoffs.
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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans confirmed that defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. ruptured his pectoral muscle and will miss the rest of the 2025 season, once again serving as a blow toward a top-three run defense. Houston must now find someone else to take over for Edwards, who already is limited with Tommy Togiai taking on a bigger role.
“Mario has done a great job for us all year,” Ryans said. “A steady player, consistent player. Brings energy to our entire team, so we’re really going to miss his presence. He flies around on game day. Great effort, intent.”
Edwards, who signed a one-year deal to return as part of the rotation for the interior defensive line, finished with 11 tackles, 1½ sacks and two tackles for loss in 13 games. His rep count had diminished over the past four weeks, but he still remained a focal point when defending the run.
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Entering Sunday’s contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, Houston’s only active defensive tackles are Sheldon Rankins, Tommy Togiai and Naquan Jones. Jones, who was a healthy scratch last week in a win over the Arizona Cardinals, joined the team last week after being waived by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kickoff on Sunday is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans: DT Mario Edwards Jr. out for the season ahead of AFC playoffs