The Texans are now guaranteed to start the season without two starting offensive linemen. After suffering a hamstring strain in the preseason, second-round rookie Juice Scruggs landed on IR.
In place as Houston’s starting center, Scruggs will now miss at least four games. He joins Kenyon Green in being moved off the active roster due to injury. Green, the first guard chosen in 2022, is on season-ending IR due to multiple injuries. The Texans also placed punter Cameron Johnston on IR on Thursday. Like Scruggs, Johnston will be shut down for at least a month.
A calf injury will send Johnston to IR. The Texans signed punter Ty Zentner as an insurance option last week. These moves will allow the team to re-sign linebacker Cory Littleton and running back Mike Boone. Zentner resides on Houston’s practice squad, but this Johnston news could soon lead to a promotion. The Eagles signed Zentner as a UDFA in May but waived him earlier this month.
A Scruggs IR stint emerged as a possibility earlier this week, as matters have worsened for Houston’s O-line. The team is not certain to have right tackle Tytus Howard in the lineup. A hand injury has sidelined the recently extended blocker for weeks. Scott Quessenberry, who re-signed after serving as the Texans’ starting center for most of last season, sustained a season-ending injury weeks ago. Houston has since traded for Josh Jones and Kendrick Green, with recent free agency addition George Fant in place as Howard’s RT backup.
Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason are the only locks among Houston’s first-team O-linemen to be in uniform in Week 1 against the Ravens. For additional depth purposes, the Texans also brought back interior O-lineman Michael Deiter — a March signee who did not make the team — on a practice squad deal and added recent Bears O-line castoff Dieter Eiselen to their taxi squad.
Johnston has been with the Texans for the past two seasons, coming over after the Eagles waived him. The veteran punter is going into the final season of a three-year, $8M deal. Philadelphia’s punter from 2018-20, Johnston had previously never missed a game as a pro.
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