Christian Harris Hits IR with Calf Strain

What They're Saying

Texans Wire's Cole Thompson: "The Texans believe Harris could be in for a breakout year similar to All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. A former third-round pick out of BYU, Warner went from a quality starter to a consistent standout in Year 2 under DeMeco Ryans’ teaching."

More from Thompson: "In his place, the Texans will rely on a combination of Henry To’oTo’o and Jake Hansen next to veteran Azeez Al-Shaair. To’oTo’o, Harris’ former teammate at Alabama, has seen most first-team reps and looks more comfortable heading into his second season playing in space."

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

Harris should regain a full-time role next to free-agent import Azeez Al-Shaair once healthy. That makes him stashable in deeper IDP leagues but tough to draft if you don't have the roster space to carry a dead spot for at least the first month.

Hansen might wind up the direct positional fill-in for Harris, but it sounds like To'oTo'o will be the better bet for playing time in September.

I'd recommend trying not to use either in Week 1 while we wait to see exactly how Houston sorts the position.

As for the position overall, it's worth remembering that Houston gave Al-Shaair $34 million on a three-year deal -- with $21.5 million guaranteed. The Texans did so while letting 2023 breakthrough Blake Cashman walk to Minnesota for $22.5 million over three years.

So the team pretty clearly expects Al-Shaair to be its top LB for 2024 (and likely beyond).

Dynasty Impact

Harris has one more year on his rookie contract and likely needs to continue ascending to secure a starting role for 2025 (as well as a potential extension).

We'll see how soon the strained calf allows him to get going.