Pair of injuries hurt defensive line depth

Defensive ends Rasheem Green and Mario Addison are both dealing with thigh injuries leading into the franchise’s season opener against the Colts, the team announced in their first injury report. Green did not practice Wednesday, and Addison’s participation was limited.

Green and Addison were both signed in the offseason to bolster a pass rush that pressured quarterbacks at the league’s fifth-lowest rate in 2021. Jonathan Greenard, the team’s 2020 third-round pick, and veteran Jerry Hughes, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason, are poised to be the starters Sunday. But the Texans only have one other defensive end, Ogbo Okoronkwo, under contract on the 53man roster, and Smith often rotates his defensive line during a game.

Houston’s depth at defensive end lessened when veteran Derek Rivers suffered a biceps injury during the preseason. He led the Texans with three sacks and four tackles for loss in three exhibitions, but he’s expected to be sidelined for the entire season on the injured reserve.

If Green and Addison do not recover by the weekend, the Texans could turn to the practice squad.

Demone Harris, who started in one relief game for the Texans last season, and Adedayo Odeleye, who’s part of the NFL’s international program, are available for promotion. Teams can elevate two practice squad players per week to the active roster, but an individual player can only be elevated three times in one season.

“For the most part, we’re healthy,” Smith said. “You want to be healthy going into the first game. We realize what’s at stake. A division game at home, doesn’t get any bigger, any better than that.”