Houston Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney suffered a concussion late in the team’s 24-21 win over the Tennessee Titans Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium.
The head injury could put the 2015 second-round pick in jeopardy of missing his first game since his rookie year. The Texans will travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers on Saturday.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien believes there is a chance McKinney starts in his 71st consecutive game Saturday. Reports after the win in Nashville indicated to O’Brien he would have his Pro Bowl linebacker.
“I don’t know yet, relative to his morning, where we are at with that,” O’Brien said on Monday. “But, just from the reports after the game, I think we’ve got a chance there.”
Before McKinney can play, he has to pass the concussion protocol. He last suffered a concussion on Oct. 18, 2015, which ultimately caused him to miss two games.
The former Mississippi State Bulldog is a leader for the Texans’ defense. On the season, he has 102 combined tackles and four tackles for loss.