The $72 million veteran’s absence is a blow to the Texans’ offense, which ranks 21st in passing entering the contest
DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans will officially be shorthanded for their Week 7 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on “Monday Night Football,” officially ruling veteran wide receiver and 2025 offseason trade acquisition Christian Kirk out.
Kirk battled a hamstring issue during the offseason, missed the first two games of the regular season, and reaggravated the injury in practice this week, appearing on Friday’s injury report.
It is a continuation of a troubling pattern for the veteran wide receiver.
Texans WR Christian Kirk Continues Ominous Trend
The Texans traded a seventh-round pick in the 2026 draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Kirk this past offseason. Originally a second-round pick (No. 47 overall) of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, Kirk is on an expiring four-year, $72 million contract with $63.6 million in career earnings.
However, injuries have been a constant challenge.
He missed multiple games in five of his seven previous seasons in the NFL. The last time he played a full regular-season slate, which is no longer possible this season, was in 2022.
“The more than two weeks of separation from their last game has the Houston Texans remarkably healthy heading into their matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. However, a development this week has them without a top pass catcher for the pivotal game,” the Houston Chronicle’s Sam Warren wrote on October 18.
“Kirk returned from the team’s week off seemingly refreshed and healthy, as he practiced in full Thursday. But he appeared to injure the hamstring Friday after being limited in practice. The injury then kept him out of Saturday’s final session before leaving for the Pacific Northwest.”
Warren noted that no other active Texans players have an injury designation.
Still, Kirk’s absence looms large for the Texans, who rank 22nd in scoring offense and 20th overall on the season.
Detroit Lions injury report: Kerby Joseph won't play vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Detroit Lions' depth problems in the secondary keep getting worse.
The Lions ruled safety Kerby Joseph out on Saturday, Oct. 18, for Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of the knee injury he suffered last month.
Joseph missed his sixth straight practice Saturday and wore a brace on his knee as he limped through the locker room after practice. He has played through knee pain the past two weeks, though Lions coach Dan Campbell said he was "feeling better" before practice.
"He’s dealing with something and it’s affecting him right now so we’ve just got to get it to calm down, help him," Campbell said.
The Lions (4-2) will be without their top three safeties and top two cornerbacks Monday. Along with Joseph, starting safety Brian Branch will serve a one-game suspension this week and top backup Avonte Maddox is out for the second straight week with a hamstring injury. At cornerback, Terrion Arnold will miss his second straight game with a shoulder injury and fellow starter D.J. Reed is on injured reserve with a strained hamstring.
Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin are expected to start at cornerback, Thomas Harper will play one safety spot and the Lions could use Loren Strickland, Jammie Robinson or Erick Hallett at the other safety spot.
The Lions also ruled running back Sione Vaki out with a groin injury and listed left tackle Taylor Decker and defensive tackles DJ Reader and Alim McNeill as questionable.
Campbell said Decker was "trending" towards returning after a two-week absence due to a shoulder injury. McNeill is expected to make his season debut after last year's ACL injury, and Reader plans to play through a back injury that limited him in practice.
Wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Mike Evans and linebacker Lavonte David are questionable for the Bucs, while running back Bucky Irving and receiver Chris Godwin are out.
