The Houston Texans will be without a key defensive starter for the foreseeable future.
Safety Jalen Pitre suffered a partially torn pectoral during the team's Week 12 loss to the division rival Tennessee Titans, via NFL Media. Pitre will be out for multiple weeks, though the exact timetable for his return is not yet known. Per NFL Media's reporting, Pitre will not undergo surgery as of now, and a return later this season is on the table.
Houston's second-round pick in 2022, Pitre has played and started 44 games across his three NFL seasons. He has 65 tackles (six for loss), eight pass breakups and an interception so far this year, and has been on the field for 87% of Houston's defensive snaps.
He exited Sunday's game after playing just 21 snaps and was replaced in the lineup with extra snaps for Eric Murray and Jimmie Ward. Pitre was spending a significant amount of time in the slot this season, aligning there for 267 coverage snaps, per Pro Football Focus. The Texans will need someone else to assume that role, with Ward being one of the primary candidates to do so.
The Texans remain in first place in the AFC South despite the loss to Tennessee, the team's fifth in its last seven games. They have another divisional matchup in Week 13, against the Titans, before taking their bye and finishing up with games against the Dolphins, Chiefs, Ravens and Titans again.
If Pitre can make it back onto the field, he would be a key piece in any potential playoff run. Considering the relative struggles of the team's offense, having the defense playing at full strength is of utmost importance, and that just got a bit more difficult.
