Reid reflects on rough season, road ahead
HOUSTON — Texans safety Justin Reid’s right hand is heavily bandaged these days after undergoing season-ending thumb surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
It’s an appropriate reminder of how rough this season has been for the Texans, who are 4-9.
After winning consecutive AFC South division titles, the Texans have dealt with significant fallout from the controversial DeAndre Hopkins trade along with firing coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, a myriad of injuries and suspensions to wide receiver Will Fuller and corner Bradley Roby.
Losing Reid, placed on injured reserve this week, is just the latest blow the Texans have suffered.
Reflecting on a trying season Thursday night while baking Christmas cookies with his chef and business partner Jake Gober of Silver Whisk Cooking, Reid remained upbeat about the future.
“It’s been difficult, but it’s been difficult for everybody,” Reid said. “We’re all playing by the same rules. It’s not always fair, but that’s just adversity. That’s life and how sports is: challenging adversity and playing through it. It hasn’t been easy, but it hasn’t been easy for anybody.
“Just playing through it and trying to have fun and win some more games. I had the procedure done. The surgery went well. I look forward to getting that back right and healthy for next season.”
When Reid’s thumb got bent at an awkward angle Sunday during the first half of a 36-7 loss to the Chicago Bears, he knew immediately that it was serious.
“It was a freak accident,
just pulled my thumb down on a tackle, tore the ulnar collateral ligament, just unfortunate,” Reid said.
Reid went to the locker room for examination, then he went back into the game at Soldier Field. Reid recorded 83 tackles, six tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and two sacks in 13 games this season, overcoming a rough start to the year that included missing a pivotal open-field tackle against Cleveland running back Nick Chubb in the
fourth quarter of a loss. Despite trailing on the scoreboard, Reid decided to play hurt.
“Just kind of go out there, throw my body around and try to make some plays happen,” Reid said. “It wasn’t easy to do, couldn’t wrap up the way I wanted to, couldn’t use my hand at all. It was important to me to try to go out there and finish the game. After the game, talking about it, and getting the MRI done, it was the best decision to have
the surgery right now.”
Although Reid, who won the Ed Block Courage award last year in balloting from his teammates, underwent surgery in the offseason for a torn labrum in his shoulder and had wrist surgery following his rookie season, the third-year pro has avoided any longterm injuries that would affect his mobility.
If Reid was a quarterback, it would be a larger issue.
“I already had the shoul
der and now the hand, my throwing days are done,” Reid said. “If there is a silver lining having to have surgery, it hasn’t been on my legs. My legs have been consistently healthy. That’s my breadwinner right there.”
Reid, due to the NFL’s strict COVID-19 protocols, can’t attend practices or games right now.
“It’s tough, especially with the COVID situation right now, I can’t even go in the building and try to be there on the sideline and support my guys,” Reid said. “I’ll still root for them, cheer them on, send them text messages all the time, ask them how practice went, just encourage those guys to hold it down and play hard and make big plays.”
Reid, who will be replaced by Eric Murray, Lonnie Johnson Jr. and A.J. Moore as the primary safeties, will be missed on the field and in the locker room.
“I think it’s probably just been his leadership off the field,” defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “Prior to this season, he’s never been the older safety in the room. He’s kind of that elder statesman back there. He’s played a bunch of ball so they look to him as kind of that example. He’s stepped up in that role.
“That, to me, is probably where he’s taken the biggest jump. I love the kid. I hate that he got hurt. He gets hurt early in that game and he battles through the entire game just trying to help the team. Even when it was out of hand, he was still out there giving everything he had for the team. I just hope he gets well soon.”
Playing under a fouryear, $4.063 million rookie contract, Reid will be eligible to sign an extension after his third NFL season.
The focus for the former third-round draft pick from Stanford is on getting healthy and the Texans having a bounce-back season in 2021. Reid will have a new head coach and a new general manager.
“It’s crazy how fast times goes by heading into my fourth season next year,” Reid said. “We’re close. We’ve got to get the pieces right. I’m going to be excited to see the direction the franchise goes in.”