Ward is set to undergo season-ending foot surgery. While it is believed the 11th-year defender dodged a fracture and did not sustain structural damage, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicates the second-year Texan is out indefinitely. Ward could not put weight on his injured foot and left Saturday’s game on a cart.
Injuries have been a regular issue for Ward over the course of his career. As he has toggled between pure safety and slot corner, the former first-round pick has missed 51 games as a pro. This included seven absences last season and five more coming into Week 16. The Texans still reached a second contract agreement with the longtime 49er this summer, giving him a one-year add-on. The second Texans deal brought Ward $8.8M at signing, putting him under contract through 2025, though it would cost Houston only $4.6M in dead money to move on.
Ward’s injury troubles may prompt the Texans to have that conversation, but the 33-year-old cover man has played four seasons under DeMeco Ryans during the latter’s time as a head coach or defensive coordinator. Overall, Ryans has been on staff — as a quality control coach or position coach, initially — in eight of Ward’s 11 seasons. He has operated exclusively as a starter since following Ryans to Houston in 2023.
The Texans placed Pitre on IR due to a partially torn pectoral muscle, an injury expected to sideline the recent second-round pick for the season. Ward’s injury further thins a secondary that appears in some trouble. Houston used Myles Bryant initially to replace Ward in the slot, before then sliding rookie boundary corner Kamari Lassiter inside and moving Jeff Okudah to the perimeter position opposite Derek Stingley Jr. One of these two plans will be needed moving forward, as the Texans deal with another setback in their secondary.
The Texans also saw their most durable offensive lineman go down. Shaq Mason, who had not missed a game since the 2021 season, left the Chiefs matchup with a knee injury. The 2023 trade pickup, however, is believed to have avoided a serious injury, Wilson adds. That would put the veteran guard in play to return later this season. Though, Houston’s right guard starter is still expected to miss some time.
Kendrick Green replaced Mason, who had been the only Texans player not to miss time during Ryans’ first season. Mason entered Week 16 having started 60 straight games. The Texans had already moved Tytus Howard from right tackle to left guard, with Juice Scruggs out with a foot injury. Scruggs is not on IR and could return in Week 17.
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