HOUSTON – Now that hard-hitting Texans nickel Jalen Pitre is out indefinitely with a partial tear of his pectoral with a second opinion being sought on whether he’ll undergo surgery or attempt to play again this season, this injury to a key player changes the equation for a defense that relied heavily on his tackling skills.
Pitre got hurt Sunday against the Tennessee Titans while tackling wide receiver Tyler Boyd and caught the brunt of a collision with teammate Henry To’oTo’o.
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It was initially diagnosed as a shoulder injury. A magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed the extent of the injury Monday, a development first reported by KPRC 2 and confirmed by multiple outlets.
“He’ll be out for some time,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said of Pitre.
The Texans will have to adapt to the loss of Pitre for multiple weeks, at the least. There’s also the potential scenario that doctors will recommend surgery and it will be season-ending injury. Playing with a partial tear, even with a protective brace and pain-killing medication, increases the risk of fully tearing the pectoral.
Pitre, back at his natural nickel position where the Stafford graduate excelled as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Baylor, had started every game and recorded 65 tackles, six tackles for losses, one forced fumble, one interception and eight passes defensed.
“Jalen, he’s been a true impact player for us,’ Ryans said. “Just being around the ball, just causing interceptions, forcing fumbles. He’s just been really active, very instinctive player for us. He’s been all over the field. And he’s made a lot of plays for us. And just miss his instincts, miss his playmaking ability, we’re going to miss that. So, we’ve got to pick it up and we’ve got to go. We’ve got to move forward. We’ve got to press forward. Whoever else steps in, we’ve got to hit the ground running.”
'He's been a true impact player for us' #Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on loss of nickel Jalen Pitre.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 26, 2024
Pitre out indefinitely for multiple weeks, per league sources, with partially torn pectoral and medical outlook, whether he'll undergo surgery, still being determined @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/iCNY8MLW0g
The Texans are expected to plug in veteran safety Jimmie Ward as Pitre’s replacement. Ward stepped in for Pitre and returned a Will Levis interception 65 yards for a touchdown. He had one of his better games, recording six tackles, three for losses with one pass defensed. He has two interceptions this season, 30 tackles, four for losses.
In the past with the San Francisco 49ers, Ward was reluctant to play nickel even though he’s proven to be good at the spot.
“I just got to do my 1/11, whatever the coaches ask of me to help the team win I’m going to do,” Ward said. “I think it went well. I stepped in. I did good enough. Scratch that, I didn’t do that well enough. We lost. Whatever ‘Meco wants me to play. He’s the head ball coach. He’ll put me in position to make plays.”
The Texans lost cornerback Ka’dar Hollman for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, per league sources. Hollman will be placed on injured reserve. He had played well on special teams and held up solidly in his only start against the Dallas Cowboys when Kamari Lassiter was out with a concussion. Jeff Okudah, inactive against the Titans after allowing a long touchdown pass to Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin, is likely to be active again against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans can promote nickel Myles Bryant to the active roster from the practice squad and sign a defensive back to the practice squad.
Losing Pitre and Hollman in the same game is another blow to the 7-5 Texans.
“That’s crazy,” Texans starting corner Derek Stingley Jr. said.
The Texans, on both sides of the football and on special teams, need to improve, as they seek to win the AFC South division title and make a playoff run.
“I feel like you got to look in the mirror,” Ward said. “Me playing 11 years, I’ve got to look in the mirror every day. Even if we win, there’s always a play that I can do better.”
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
