By late October, almost every NFL player is dealing with some sort of injury, unofficially. For the Texans, nearly a third of the roster already is, officially.
Two (tackle David Quesenberry with a foot, linebacker Darryl Sharpton with a concussion) are out. One (safety Ed Reed, who’s recovering from hip surgery) is questionable.
A dozen of them are probable.
Officially, linebacker Brian Cushing (knee), running back Arian Foster (calf), receiver DeAndre Hopkins (concussion; pictured), linebacker Brooks Reed (back), receiver DeVier Posey (Achilles), linebacker Whitney Mercilus (hamstring), cornerback A.J. Bouye (knee), tight end Garrett Graham (hip), cornerback Brice McCain (knee), linebacker Sam Montgomery (Achilles), safety Eddie Pleasant (knee), and guard Wade Smith (knee) are probable.
Probable still means, in NFL parlance, almost definite. Contrary to a popular misconception that a player listed as “probable” is only 75 percent likely to play, “probable” actually means there’s a virtual certainty the player will be available for normal duty.
It is more than virtually certain that the Texans will play the Chargers in San Diego on Monday night.