Coach Gary Kubiak announced Wednesday that nose tackle Sunny Harris suffered a torn triceps muscle on Tuesday and will miss the season.

Harris has appeared in two games since entering the league in 2009, but he was playing well in training camp. His injury also leaves Houston with just two healthy nose tackles. Shaun Cody is still dealing with a back injury.

“It’s a very unfortunate situation and makes it tough on us right now, especially with Shaun [Cody] out,” Kubiak told reporters. “He had been playing really good for us. So, he’s going to go on IR, and it’s a concern right now.”

Nose tackles Earl Mitchell and Hebron Fangupo are the only healthy players at the position. Mitchell is a proven player, and Fangupo is a 27-year-old undrafted free agent out of BYU. This represents a big opportunity for Fangupo.

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“[Fangupo] has been getting a chance to play, and this Saturday and Thursday night, if [Fangupo] wants to make it in the league, boy, there’s no excuses,” Kubiak said. “He’ll get every rep he can possibly get. He’ll get to play a bunch.”

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips told reporters that defensive ends Jared Crick and Tim Jamison can play some nose tackle if needed.

Quick Hits

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  • Linebacker Brian Cushing sat out again with sore ribs Wednesday. Kubiak hopes he is back on Thursday. “My plan is for him still to play,” Kubiak said. “He’s doing well, he’s feeling good, he wanted to go, but we’ll see where he’s at [Thursday].”
  • Kubiak has a tough call for the No. 3 quarterback spot between John Beck and Case Keenum. “Two totally different players,” Kubiak said. “[Beck’s] a veteran who I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of what he can do. He understands what we’re doing, has started in this league so you know what you’re getting there. Then there’s a young guy [Keenum] with a lot of ability and a lot of upside who has shown that upside on a daily basis. So, that could be a tough call for me and this team, but that’s a good thing.”
  • The kicking battle between rookie Randy Bullock and veteran Shayne Graham is pretty even, according to Kubiak. “We knew the minute we brought in a veteran kicker like Shayne we were making it really hard on our young guy [Bullock], and that’s a good thing because it is going to be hard,” Kubiak said. “To ask the young kicker to be our guy off the get-go, you got to know he’s hardened and tough and can handle things. So, that’s why we wanted the competition, and Shayne has definitely held up his end of the bargain.”
  • Running back Arian Foster was asked Wednesday about people thinking he is the best running back in the NFL. “It comes and goes,” Foster told reporters. “You’re the flavor of the week now. Ten years from now, they’ll forget about you, and I’ll be meditating in Tibet.”

Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter, @CBSSportsNFLHOU.