Owen Daniels set to miss 4-6 weeks

Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels (81) runs with the ball after making a catch against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Texans 34-3. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels did not seem to suffer an injury in Sunday’s blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but it was reported yesterday that he would need to undergo tests on his fibula after suffering an injury against the Niners. Texans head coach Gary Kubiak stated that Daniels had some leg “soreness”, and it was reported later that day that Daniels may have suffered a serious injury and had two MRIs done.

The Texans now know more about Daniels’s status and it isn’t good. ESPN NFL Nation’s Tania Ganguli reports that Owen Daniels will “likely” be out for 4-6 weeks with what is officially a non-displaced fibula fracture. It’s awful news for an underperforming Houston Texans team, and it means Matt Schaub has lost his safety valve in the middle of the field. Daniels did an excellent job of taking pressure off of star WR Andre Johnson and rookie DeAndre Hopkins, and he was the most productive Texans pass-catcher over the past two weeks.

It’s definitely a big injury, as Daniels has 24 receptions for 252 yards and three touchdowns this season. That kind of solid production will be missed, and the toughest part is the fact that it didn’t seem like Daniels suffered a significant injury on Sunday. He has caught six passes for at least 60 yards in each of the past two games, with at least five receptions in four of five games this season (only had two receptions in Week 2). Let’s just hope that Owen Daniels only misses four weeks instead of six, but at least those two games are against the easiest opponents in the league in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders.

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