Why isn’t Christian Kirk playing for the Texans against the Seahawks in MNF? Injury update

The Houston Texans head into their Week 7 Monday Night Football matchup against the Seattle Seahawks without wide receiver Christian Kirk, who has suffered a recurrence of the injury that already sidelined him earlier this season.

What injury does Christian Kirk have? When will he be back?

Kirk missed Houston’s opening two games, losses to the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because of a hamstring strain. The 28-year-old returned in Week 3 and helped the Texans to big wins over the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 4 and 5, only to break down again in practice this week.

Kirk re-injured his hamstring on Friday, which kept him out of Saturday’s session. He will now miss a third game of the regular season in Seattle, with no word yet on whether he will be available for the Week 8 clash against the San Francisco 49ers on October 26.

Blow for DeMeco Ryans and Texans offense

The news is a setback for Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. Houston is 0-2 without Kirk this season, but 2-1 when he has been in the lineup. The wideout has made 10 catches for 109 receiving yards so far this year, though he has yet to find the end zone.

Next man up for Houston

Rookie Jaylin Noel, who has five receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown to start his NFL career, is expected to step into the starting lineup. Xavier Hutchinson and Jayden Higgins should also see increased playing time in Kirk’s absence.

The big picture for the Texans

Houston’s 2-3 record leaves them two games behind the AFC wild-card spots. Although there’s still time to make up ground, the Texans can’t afford to let too much distance grow between them and the postseason contenders.

The Seahawks, meanwhile, are expected to provide a tough test at Lumen Field after an impressive 4-2 start to their season.

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