Houston Texans right tackle Tytus Howard sustained a concussion in the second quarter of the club’s 27-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Swing tackle Roderick Johnson filled in for Howard, who is now in concussion protocol, and spent Sunday evening in an Indianapolis hospital for observation due to severe symptoms the former 2019 first-round pick was showing from the concussion.
According to interim coach Romeo Crennel on Monday, the Texans haven’t made a decision on whether to allow Howard to play the final two games or to end his season early.
“After the doctors take a good look at him and he goes into the protocol, there’s a protocol that we have to follow,” Crennel said. “They have to pass I think five different stages before they’re eligible to play. It just depends on whether he can pass those stages or not.”
The length of concussion protocol is such that players typically don’t get out of it by the time the next game rolls around. It is not out of the question that Howard could miss the Week 16 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals at NRG Stadium.
Even if Howard were to miss that game, Crennel gave the impression in his Monday presser with the Houston media that the club would play Howard in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans.
Said Crennel: “Well, if he passes the protocol then they say that he’s OK. If we need him then we could probably play him. If he doesn’t pass the protocol then we can’t even put him on the field.”
Howard has started in all 14 games to this point, almost double what he played in his rookie season, which was cut short on Nov. 30, 2019, when he was placed on injured reserve due to an MCL injury. If Howard’s season ends with two games to go, it gives him a head start on the offseason.