The Houston Texans’ latest addition to their running back group has been a hot topic of discussion since the team acquired him via waivers earlier this week. It seems that everyone on the team has been asked about third-year back Eno Benjamin, and for good reason.
Benjamin has shown flashes of brilliance since entering the NFL in 2020 but has yet to get a legitimate shot at meaningful playing time in his short career. Reporters asked head coach Lovie Smith about the timeline for getting Benjamin involved in the team’s offense, prodding specifically about his potential inclusion on Sunday’s gameday roster.
Smith was surprised to be asked such a question about a player who was so recently added to the Texans’ roster and told the media that he is in no rush to push Benjamin onto the field without adequate time to prepare him for the job.
“How long have we known each other,” Smith asked reporters jokingly. “He hadn’t been in the building yet, so you want me to predict whether he’s going to play? I’ll put it like this. We have to keep moving on like he’s not going to play. Since we’re bringing a new player into the mix, we played a lot of games when he wasn’t a part of the team, so we’re moving on like he is not and will not [play]. We’re going to give him a little bit of time, at least get in the building and then we’ll see.”
Though he may not be on the field for Week 11, Benjamin will almost certainly get his chance to make an impact for Houston in the coming weeks. Smith played coy in his response to the question about him in Wednesday’s press conference, but is sure to be aware of the potentially game-breaking advantage his offense could enjoy with yet another capable back at their disposal.