Howard being a late addition to the injury report is concerning for his Week 5 availability, but if he’s able to get on the field Friday, he should be good to go. In the event he can’t start, second-year tackle Nick Broeker is listed behind him on the depth chart and would presumably get the nod against the Bills.

A knee injury suffered in late November ended Howard’s 2023 season, as the veteran tackle required surgery to correct the issue. While we don’t know the specifics of the injury, we do know that Howard was sidelined for the majority of OTAs and minicamp while recovering. Now appearing healthy to kick off the first day of training camp, it looks as if Howard is nearing a full return in the coming days.

Howard went down with an apparently serious knee injury in Week 12 against the Jaguars. He’ll require season-ending surgery. It’s a massive blow for a Houston offensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as the league’s 14th best pass blocking unit.

The versatile Howard went down midway through the first half and was replaced by Juice Scruggs. His loss for any amount of time would be a big blow for the Texans’ blocking.