Could Charlie Heck Start? Texans OL Reacts to Return From Injury

The Texans may get some help on Sunday. Offensive lineman Charlie Heck is set to return from a back injury that placed him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list for much of the year. He is yet to see game action in 2023 but could be thrust into the starting lineup due to Fant’s hip ailment.

“I’m really ready, and I am proud to work back to the position that I’m in right now,” Heck said. “So that’s good to hang my hat on, but now I’ve decided to help the team however I can.”

It’s hard to find a more pressing scenario to make one’s season debut in. A win keeps Houston’s playoff hopes alive, though far from certain, but a loss puts them at about a 25-percent chance of playing mid-January football. Against a strong Titans front, Heck will be in for a challenge. His preparation, he claims, could mitigate the obstacles that come with inserting oneself into the line mid-season.

“Trying to stay as involved as I could when I was hurt and not with the team as much,” Heck said. “Just trying to stay in my notes, be as involved as I could to make that transition easier once I was back. I had quite a few weeks of practice to get back in the swing of things, catch my breath a little bit.”

Ryans made a point not to allow injuries to become an excuse in his locker room, but there’s a reason Tennessee is favored. For a team that has exceeded expectations for longer than anyone anticipated this summer, Sunday could put an end to the festivities and render Houston just not good enough.

However, injuries are nothing new to this Texans squad and, despite some disappointing performances, they’ve handled business. The offensive line has been a makeshift unit all year long and key starters on the back end have missed time. Yet, Houston has persevered. Heck and the Texans hope, with the odds stacked against them, they can pull off yet another upset.

“That’s part of the business of the NFL, people are down each week,” Heck said. Somebody’s gotta step up each week, whether it’s a lot of people or just one person. We’ve done a good job this whole year, when somebody has gone down other people step in for them and try not to miss a beat.”