The Texans will be without one of their top pass rushers for the next month-plus. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Houston is placing defensive end Jonathan Greenard on the injured reserve.
The defensive end injured his calf this week during practice. The injury is expected to sideline Greenard for four to six weeks. The pass rusher missed Week 5 with an ankle injury but was expected to be back on the field after Houston’s bye week. Instead, while preparing for Week 7, Greenard suffered an injury that will keep him off the field for at least the next four games.
The 2020 third-round pick made a name for himself in 2021. In 12 starts for Houston, Greenard finished with 33 tackles, eight sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. Through four games this season, he collected 1.5 sacks and five tackles for loss, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 78th among 116 qualifying edge rushers. The 25-year-old graded out much better in the past, ranking 11th in 2021.
When Greenard was out of the lineup in Week 5, Mario Addison made his season debut and ended up playing 64 percent of his team’s defensive snaps. Rasheem Green has also seen his role grow, culminating in him seeing a season-high in defensive snaps in Week 5. The duo will likely fill in for Greenard at defensive end opposite Jerry Hughes, with Demone Harris and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo also there to soak up some snaps.
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