On Tuesday, the Texans were expecting tight end Owen Daniels to miss 4-8 weeks with a broken leg. On Wednesday, the Texans made it official that missing eight weeks is the best-case scenario.
Daniels is being placed on injured reserve with the designation for return, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Under NFL rules, that means Daniels has to miss at least the next eight weeks.
So the soonest we could see Daniels on the field again is Houston’s Week 14 game on Thursday, December 5, at Jacksonville. Considering the way the Texans have been playing lately, it’s entirely possible that by Week 14, Houston will be out of the playoff hunt.
However, if Houston can turn things around, the Texans’ final three games of the season (against Indianapolis, Denver and Tennessee) could all have major playoff implications. The Texans will have to hope that those games matter, and that Daniels is back and able to make a difference.