Texans Star Defender Held Out of Practice Before Steelers Game

The Houston Texans saw one big name on the defensive side of the ball held out for their first practice of the week before taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round–– cornerback Kamari Lassiter.

Lassiter was one of a select few names sidelined for the Texans during their first practice ahead of Wild Card Weekend. Houston's star corner has been dealing with a lingering foot issue that sidelined him in Week 18 against the Indianapolis Colts, and now his absence continues at team practice.

Texans CB getting work in. No CB Kamari Lassiter at practice today. Worth monitoring pic.twitter.com/SeyZoP4yYM
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) January 8, 2026

Lassiter was initially injured in the Texans' game against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 during the first quarter for an issue that he would eventually come back into action for, inevitably turning into a 20-16 Houston win in the process.

But now, with that injury lingering into preparation for their Wild Card game against the Steelers, it's a situation that's definitely worth monitoring.

Could Kamari Lassiter Miss vs. Steelers?

While Lassiter is out of the mix for the first practice of the week, his hopes for suiting up against the Steelers certainly aren't dead. In fact, it would likely be a bit more surprising to see him ruled out for a second straight week than it would be for him to play.

Lassiter's injury was able to be played through for the extent of his outing vs. the Chargers, where the issue first arose, and multiple sources have indicated he could've come back as soon as last week against the Colts, though the Texans decided to play it cautiously for their star cornerback.

His absence at practice might just be another case of that, and if so, could still leave Lassiter in line to play on the road in Pittsburgh after getting a week's rest.

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (4) takes the field prior to a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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During the 16 games he's played this season, Lassiter has collected 91 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, 17 passes defended, and four interceptions en route to making a great case for himself as one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL, and when paired with Derek Stingley on the other side of the secondary, makes for one of the league's best corner duos as well.

His status will be one to monitor as the week progresses, with two more practices on the horizon before gameday statuses are turned in. However, with the stakes that are on the line and the mentality Lassiter brings to this defense on a consistent basis, expect him to be pushing to play in whatever ways he can.

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