Texans coach Gary Kubiak won’t get to ride rookie running back Ben Tate in practice any longer. The “lower leg” injury Tate suffered Saturday night appears to be a broken right ankle that will knock Tate out for the season, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle.
The Texans took Tate late in the second round of April’s draft, and the Auburn back was struggling to adjust to the NFL. Kubiak barked at Tate plenty in practice and through the media, saying Tate had an “up and down” camp and had a “long way to go.”
“I’ve been hard on Ben because he’s going to be a big part of what we do,” Kubiak said this week.
Expected to eventually start, Tate was still running with the third team behind Arian Foster and Steve Slaton. Houston’s improved depth at running back looks less improved now.