Texans lose Henry To'oTo'o to IR, sign Kenneth Murray

It started with a scary scene. Aaron Wilson reported Monday that To'oTo'o would be out for some time with a shoulder injury, and that he'd been in a sling after the game. DeMeco Ryans wasn't ready to commit to IR right away, telling reporters 'We'll see, haven't made a decision yet.'

That decision got made fast. By Tuesday, Wilson had the corrected picture: To'oTo'o is headed to injured reserve with an injured left shoulder that's expected to keep him out for roughly two months. For a Texans defense that leaned on him as a starter, that's a real hit at the second level.

Houston didn't sit on the roster spot. Jamal Hill, a converted safety and former sixth-round pick out of Oregon with 4.45 speed, got bumped from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. He's got 10 career tackles and a forced fumble to his name — not a household name, but a body Ryans trusts enough to plug in now.

The bigger domino fell Tuesday night. The Texans brought in Kenneth Murray, a former first-round pick who started 16 games for the Cowboys last season, for a visit — and it went well enough to turn into a signing. Mike Garafolo had the visit going 'ongoing' with a chance to 'wind up signing in Houston,' and a couple hours later it was official.

Mike Garafolo

@MikeGarafolo

The #Texans hosted LB Kenneth Murray on a visit today. The former first-round pick started 16 games for the #Cowboys last season. Houston LB Henry To’oTo’o is expected to miss time with a shoulder injury.

Murray's path here has some hometown pull to it. He's an Elkins High School grad out of Missouri City, a blue-chip recruit who went to Oklahoma before the Chargers took him in the first round back in 2020. He's since bounced through the Titans and Cowboys, racking up 497 career tackles and 9.5 sacks along the way. Wilson noted the visit included a clean MRI and physical before Murray put pen to paper on a practice squad deal.

None of this replaces To'oTo'o outright — he was a 36-game starter for Houston, and that kind of experience doesn't show up on a practice squad deal overnight. But between Hill getting real roster reps and Murray now in the building learning the defense, the Texans at least have depth in place while they figure out how to cover the linebacker spot heading into Cincinnati and beyond.