For the first two weeks of training camp, the vibes on the Houston Texans defense were absolutely immaculate, but then on August 8, newly-added defensive back CJ Gardner-Johnson went down with an injury that was initially feared to be a torn ACL. Fortunately for the Texans, their worst fears did not come true.
“Tests revealed that Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s ACL is intact,” writes ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter on X. “The Texans still are conducting more testing to determine the extent of the injury but the team is not concerned about his ACL.”
After that initial positive update, there was still concern that Gardner-Johnson would miss a good chunk of time, putting a dent into a secondary that at full strength, may be one of the best units in the entire league. But on August 8, the Texans received an even more favorable injury update on the 27-year-old safety.
Per the sources of Adam Schefter, it now seems as if CJ Gardner-Johnson may be ready to return to the field by the time the Texans open the regular season against the Los Angeles Rams on September 7.
This was the second time in three seasons that Gardner-Johnson went down with a knee injury in training camp that was feared to be a season-ending ligament tear, but each time, it didn’t end up being as bad as initially thought. Gardner-Johnson did end up missing most of the 2023 season, though, with a torn pectoral muscle suffered in the second game of the year.
Texans Secondary Talented, But in Flux
CJ Gardner-Johnson isn’t the only veteran member of the Houston Texans secondary who is in the news for less than ideal reasons this week. For the second time in two months, 34-year-old safety Jimmie Ward was arrested on a felony warrant, this time for drunk driving and for violating the conditions of his bail stemming from his arrest earlier this summer. In June, Ward was arrested at his home for allegedly assaulting and threatening a woman.
Ward, who is entering his third season with the Texans after nine with the San Francisco 49ers, has yet to participate in training camp. He’s currently on the physically unable to perform list after his season ended prematurely last year in December with a foot injury.
Fortunately for the Texans, Ward doesn’t necessarily factor into their future plans. There’s a youth movement in Houston’s defensive backs room, with youngsters like Derek Stingley, Calen Bullock and Jalen Pitre leading the way and giving Texans fans justified reason to believe that Houston’s defense could materialize into a championship-caliber unit as early as this year.
Rookie Jaylin Smith Could Step Up in CJ Gardner-Johnson’s Absence
Even though Gardner-Johnson could be back by Week 1, a more conservative estimate of his likely return date would be at some point a few weeks into the season. That gives 3rd round pick Jaylin Smith the opportunity to continue to earning the trust of Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“Felt like he was already a Texan on his visit,” Ryans said of Smith back in April, per Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated. “He knew Calen [Bullock], knows a lot of guys on our team. He was a very fun guy to talk to throughout the process. I was like ‘Man, all we have to do is get you some gear,’ but I felt like he was already a Texan the moment he came on his visit.”
Smith didn’t waste any time impressing upon his arrival in H-Town. On August 3, Texans Wire’s Cole Thompson crowned the former USC Trojan one of the early winners of Texans training camp, noting that he’s gotten reps at safety, outside corner and nickel, and that he’s made the most of all of them.
While there didn’t appear to be a path to meaningful playing time early on, now it seems as if Smith could end up being a key contributor right out of the gate.
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