The Houston Texans are hoping for the best with Super Bowl champion and veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was carted off the practice field on Thursday with what KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson called a “serious leg injury.”
Gardner-Johnson won a ring with the Philadelphia Eagles last season. The Texans acquired him in a trade in March. His status going forward is to be determined.
“It was a somber moment at The Greenbrier Sports Performance Center as teammates took a knee around Gardner-Johnson. The field went silent. Gardner-Johnson was unable to put weight on his leg. He was visibly upset, pounding the ground with his hand after he went down,” Wilson wrote on August 7. “Gardner-Johnson will undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam.”
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans called the injury “heartbreaking.”
Gardner-Johnson, 27, tallied 59 total tackles and tied his career-high with 6 interceptions during the 2024 regular season, adding 12 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble.
The Texans took on the final two years and $2 million in guarantees for the 2025 season of his three-year, $27 million contract in the trade. He tallied another 14 combined tackles in the playoffs en route to a ring.
Unfortunately for the Texans, Gardner-Johnson is not their only injury concern.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson Not Texans’ Only Concern
GettyNick Chubb #24 of the Houston Texans looks on during a game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Texans are already dealing with the absence of two-time Pro Bowler and starting running back Joe Mixon before Gardner-Johnson got hurt, and they are now navigating life without offseason free agent signing Nick Chubb.
The question is how long.
Chubb left practice early on Wednesday, and KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson reported not seeing the four-time Pro Bowler on the field to start practice on Thursday.
“#Texans running back Nick Chubb not practicing for second day in a row after taking a hard shot to head and leaving with trainer Tuesday,” Wilson posted on X on August 7 along with other updates and images of the scene.
Chubb turns 30 in December.
Chubb joins the Texans with 6,843 yards and 51 touchdowns on 1,340 carries in 85 career games played. Unlike Gardner-Johnson, Chubb also has an extensive injury history that further clouds his availability for the remainder of training camp and the preseason.
Texans RB Nick Chubb Sends Strong Message About Injury History
GettyNick Chubb #24 of the Cleveland Browns runs the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chubb has also appeared in 10 games over the past two seasons and has had multiple knee injuries. With $39 million in career earnings, Chubb signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Texans in free agency, after the trade for Gardner-Johnson.
He insisted that his injury issues were behind him.
“I feel good,” Chubb told reporters in June. “I would say that’s all behind me, and injuries happen. And with what I did, [it] takes about two years to really get back. And so, I’m over the hump. I’m back home. I was back home all offseason, training where I trained every year since I was in high school, and I was able to get a full year in of doing the things that I do best. So, now I’m feeling good as I have been in a long time.”
Head injuries are very serious and have garnered increased attention in the NFL in recent years, with the introduction of the guardian cap.
Whether or not Chubb did sustain a head injury, his absence is a wake-up call for the Texans, who have Dameon Pierce recovering from an injury himself and rookie third-round pick Woody Marks on hand to ease the workload on the team’s veterans.
The Texans are also missing starting left tackle Cam Robinson and safety Jaylen Reed.
They have options to replace Robinson short-term, and Reed is a rookie sixth-round draft pick in a deep room. Chubb, Gardner-Johnson, and Mixon are the biggest concerns for the Texans.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post $27 Million Playmaker Suffers Injury Setback in Texans Training Camp appeared first on Heavy Sports.