What's Next for Texans LB Room After Henry To'oTo'o Lands on IR

The Houston Texans will be without a key piece of their linebacker unit for at least the next four weeks.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, the Texans will be placing linebacker Henry To'oTo'o on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 1's game vs. the Buffalo Bills.

#Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o will be out for some time, per coach DeMeco Ryans. It's a shoulder injury and he was in a sling after the game.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 14, 2026

To'oTo'o went down with the injury late in the fourth quarter against Buffalo, where he would inevitably be pulled from the action and would not return for the rest of the way, turning out to be a 31-36 loss for Houston.

And it seems like, while we don't know the full extent of the shoulder injury, it's an issue that'll take him out for at least the next month of games, and perhaps a little longer, depending on how his status develops moving forward.

What Henry To'oTo'o's Absence Means for Texans' Defense

With at least a four-week window of games missed, that means To'oTo'o will be out for Houston's next two home and away games, at a bare minimum: vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, at the Indianapolis Colts, vs. the Dallas Cowboys, and at the Tennessee Titans.

To'oTo'o's first chance to return to the lineup will arrive in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars when they travel for their international game in London. As to whether or not he sees that timeline come to fruition remains to be seen.

Dec 14, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'Oto'O (39) waks off the field after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But it's a big loss for the Texans' front seven nonetheless. To'oTo'o has been a consistent starter for this Houston linebacker group opposite of Azeez Al-Shaair for the last two seasons. He combined for 200 combined tackles through 2024 and 2025, and was signed to a fresh two-year extension before the season to cement him in place through 2028.

For the next four weeks though, and potentially longer, the Texans will need to look elsewhere for that weak-side linebacker help.

And in a position group that's already seen a fair share of injuries through the past several weeks, there's a chance that surviving these next several games without him will be a little easier said than done.

Who Might Step Up Without To'oTo'o in the Mix

As the Texans' linebacker room stands without To'oTo'o listed on the 53-man roster, the team has four others players they can roll out opposite of Al-Shaair: their rookie pairing of Wade Woodaz and Aiden Fisher, and their veteran duo of Jake Hansen and Jake Hummel.

The first name that sticks out with the best chance at more snaps through the next four weeks is Hansen, who had suffered a lower body injury earlier in training camp, but was back healthy and on the field in time for Week 1.

Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Jake Hansen (35) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hansen claimed the seven snaps as the Texans' WLB when To'oTo'o wasn't on the field for the Bills game, and might have the qualities and experience Houston is looking for to pair next to Al-Shaair––at least in the short term.

Then, there's also the possibility of fourth-round rookie linebacker Wade Woodaz getting more work his way.

He performed well in the preseason and in camp, possesses more athleticism to his game than Hansen does, and may have a higher ceiling knowing the untapped potential he has as a first-year talent.

Woodaz didn't get any defensive snaps in Week 1 against Buffalo. He only got 22 snaps on special teams, which could be a hint of where the Texans envision their rookie fitting into the lineup––at least in the first few weeks of the regular season.

However, the longer that the Texans are without To'oTo'o, the more chances Woodaz will get to shine as a first-year breakout that this linebacker group would love to see unfold.

So at the very least, both Woodaz and Hansen will be due for a bit more attention from this coaching staff in the weeks ahead, allowing for Houston to not lose a step defensively without To'oTo'o as they try to bounce back from their 0-1 start.

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