Houston Texans Rookie Linebacker Dylan Cole Suffers Grade 2 Hamstring Strain, Out at Least Four Weeks
Houston Texans rookie linebacker Dylan Cole will have to sit out a few games this season after he injured his left leg on an interception return in the second quarter of their 33–17 victory over the Cleveland Browns last Sunday.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Cole was diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain after he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam to determine the severity of the injury, and he's expected to miss at least four weeks of action while he recovers.
Cole hurt his leg when he was tackled by Browns wide receiver Rashard Higgins after he intercepted Kevin Hogan's pass to running back Duke Johnson. Cole immediately grabbed his left leg after the tackle and he had to be helped off the field. He was on crutches after the game.
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"It was a great play. He's got good speed, he's got really good instincts," Bill O'Brien said of Cole during a press conference on Monday.
"He knew what was coming there basically, and he can run. He's got good ball skills, so we weren't surprised by the play that he made, but it was definitely a heck of a play down the field. Usually linebackers, the farther it gets down the field, they have a harder time adjusting to the ball, and he did a nice job on that. It's just too bad he got injured on that play," he continued.
This is another huge blow for the Texans' defense.
They have already lost four-time first-team All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt (tibial plateau fracture) and outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus (torn pectoral) for the season, and cornerback Kevin Johnson is still out with a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL).
Meanwhile, inside linebacker Brian Cushing is currently serving a 10-game suspension for violating the National Football League's (NFL) policy on performance-enhancing substances.
