Justin Britt: Houston Texans On Same Page with Absent Starter?
HOUSTON — Whether he's contemplating retirement or not, there is no timetable on when veteran center Justin Britt will be back with the Houston Texans. The Texans placed Britt on the NFL's reserve-non-football illness list on Tuesday, and Scott Quessenberry will continue to start in his absence.
The Texans have been respectful towards Britt by not revealing his personal reasons to the public. But inside the locker room of NRG Stadium, Britt has the full support of his coaching staff and teammates.
"Once you say it's personal, there is no elaboration needed," coach Lovie Smith said. "When someone is dealing with something personal, you have to leave it at that. We are there for support and give them anything they may need to get through the situation."
Britt started at center during the Texans' season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 11 at NRG Stadium. Although he did not give up a sack, Britt was flagged for two penalties while posting an overall grade of 44.6 — per Pro Football Focus.
After his subpar performance, Britt missed an entire week of practice ahead of the Texans' Week 2 match against the Denver Broncos.
When reflecting on his performance against the Colts, Britt revealed that he made some critical errors, which frustrated him due to the standard he holds himself as a veteran player.
"We are with Justin," wide receiver Brandin Cooks said. "He is one of our guys. But we have to move on as a team and continue to push forward. We’ve got confidence in our guys that were behind him, and it’s kind of the next-man-up mentality while at the same time supporting Justin."
Britt signed with the Texans as a free agent in March of 2021 after a six-year career with the Seattle Seahawks following the 2014 NFL Draft (No. 64 overall).
His career took an alternating shift in October of 2019. Britt sustained an ACL injury during the Seahawks' Week 8 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, which forced him to miss nearly two years.
Britt's best season took place in 2016 when he received recognition as a Pro Bowl alternate center. As one of Russell Wilson's top offensive linemen, Britt did not allow a sack nor quarterback hit for the entire season amid playing in 994 snaps in 15 games.
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