Howard, who suffered the injury during Sunday’s loss against the Jaguars, will undergo a surgical procedure.
This marks the second occasion that Howard has suffered a long-term injury this season, as he missed the first four games with a hand fracture. A first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Howard signed a three-year, $56 million contract extension before last summer’s training camp.
Howard had to be assisted off the field in the first quarter of last Sunday’s game and was replaced at left guard by rookie Juice Scruggs, who had been recently activated from the injured reserve a day earlier.
The injury is a significant setback for the Texans (6-5), who are vying for a playoff spot in the competitive AFC despite being plagued by injuries to the offensive line throughout the season.
Scruggs, a second-round pick this year, missed the first 10 games for Houston due to a hamstring injury, forcing the Texans to move Howard to left guard for this season instead of his usual position as right tackle.
The news of Howard’s season-ending injury in Houston was initially reported by NFL Network this Wednesday.
