How Wade Woodaz's Latest Injury Changes Texans' LB Room

The Houston Texans' linebacker room has been hit with another injury: fourth-round rookie Wade Woodaz.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, Woodaz is expected to undergo surgery following the broken thumb injury he sustained in the Texans' preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

His timeline for return reportedly remains undetermined, but placing Woodaz on injured reserve before the season remains a possibility.

It's one of multiple injuries the Texans have seen in their linebacker unit before Week 1 of the regular season.

Woodaz joins both E.J. Speed (quad) and Jake Hansen (ankle) as candidates who could end up missing the start of the year, and thus makes the position group even thinner from what they were working with.

Let's break down what the injury to Woodaz means for the Texans' linebacker room moving forward:

Battle for Texans' LB3 Remains Wide Open

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks up at the scoreboard while the Houston Texans play the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After the Texans' training camp work and two games of preseason, it felt like Woodaz was the primary candidate in the lead to claim Houston's LB3 role before the season.

It's been a spot that's been open on Houston's defense since E.J. Speed first suffered his quad injury earlier this summer, but felt increasingly settled in Woodaz's hands, especially after his 80-yard pick-six on Fernando Mendoza against the Raiders that really made a statement on top of what he had already done through training camp.

But now, the Texans could have that LB3 job back up for grabs, at least to begin the 2026 season while Woodaz is off to the side. Perhaps that comes via someone already on the roster, or maybe Houston goes out to acquire someone via trade to really fill the position.

Expect More Work for Marte Mapu, Aiden Fisher

Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Marte Mapu arrives for the team’s minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The two names who stick out with the most likely odds to get work in Houston's linebacker room are veteran Marte Mapu and seventh-round rookie Aiden Fisher.

Both have performed well throughout the past few weeks that the Texans have been back in the building, and will now have even more opportunity on their hands––especially if Woodaz is going to be placed on injured reserve to start the year.

Two other names to keep an eye on: fourth-year linebacker Jamal Hill and offseason free agent signing Jake Hummel. Each might be more geared towards being primarily a special teamer, but as the room continues to get slimmer, they'll have a better chance to lock themselves into a 53-man roster spot, but also into a bigger role defensively.

Texans Signed Veteran Caleb Johnson

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Caleb Johnson (57) after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Texans have already acted by adding extra depth within their linebacker room since Woodaz's injury, reportedly signing veteran Caleb Johnson. who's entering his sixth season in the NFL.

#Texans set to sign veteran linebacker Caleb Johnson after successful workout, per a league source. Johnson, the first @HouChristianU #NFL player in school history,
Has 40 career tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, previously #Bears #Jaguars #Falcons #Dolphins… https://t.co/aqb3QREnEi pic.twitter.com/2OcqJXTAQv
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 22, 2026

The undrafted product out of Houston Christian has been mostly a special teamer throughout his five years in the pros, having played for the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins. He has 40 career tackles and one forced fumble throughout his career.

Johnson has over 1,100 snaps on special teams throughout his time in the league. With the Dolphins last season, he played just two games and just 22 snaps, suffered a shoulder injury, and saw his 2025 campaign shortened because of it.

He may not have an inside track for the Texans roster with a week to go until cutdown day, but he will be someone to watch getting snaps in preseason later this week, as Houston travels to face the Carolina Panthers for their final preliminary showing on Friday, August 28th.

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