The wait for veteran Mario Edwards Jr., who was looking to the NFL for a verdict in his favor, finally came to an end. The Houston Texans defensive lineman was fined for a penalty in the Buffalo Bills game and appealed against it. Unfortunately, the decision is not in his favor.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“#Texans defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr., out for season with torn ACL, denied appeal of $8,263 for contact at or below #Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s knees for a low hit in season-opener, per a league source. He was flagged for roughing the passer,” reported KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson.
Midway through the third quarter of the Texans’ Week 1 matchup with Buffalo, Edwards landed a low hit on Allen. With the QB throwing from the pocket, Edwards dove toward the quarterback and caught his left knee while grabbing his leg.
However, Edwards received much less for the infraction, as compared to what was expected. Going by the NFL rules, for such hits, the NFL normally hands out a fine as high as $17,911 for a first-time offense.
Edwards has racked up penalties before. In his first season with Houston, Edwards received a $22,511 fine for unnecessary roughness after delivering a blow to the head and neck of the Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
In the same season, he was suspended four games without pay for violating the NFL’s substances of abuse policy. The suspension marked the second in Edwards’ NFL career, having been kept out for two games in 2021 for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy.
Mario Edwards’ rejected plea comes at a bad time. He injured his ACL in the Week 3 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts and is out for the season. The time away from the field is only going to affect the longevity of his career, which is already in its 12th season.
The Texans must be already losing sleep.
Mario Edwards’ Absence Puts Houston on Clock
Losing Edwards hurts more as the Texans’ defensive line is already burdened with an injury. Even before the season got underway, the Texans lost second-round rookie Kayden McDonald to an ankle injury. Defensive lineman Solomon Byrd is on IR, and Jadaveon Clowney and Azeez Al-Shaair are nursing their respective injuries.
The Texans have signed Chris Braswell from the practice roster to make up for the space vacated by Edwards. Braswell logged 48 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in two seasons with the Buccaneers.
McDonald can be expected to also step up in Edwards’ absence. But there are other players who could see an increased workload from now on.
Logan Hall has already made an impact, playing 40% of defensive snaps in Week 3 alone. Jaden Crumedy could be a name to watch, but he has only played a total of 18 snaps for the Texans. Unfortunately for the Texans, they are the only two healthy options remaining for Houston.
Junior Tafuna could provide another option from the practice squad after joining Houston on a futures contract in January. He is the only defensive tackle currently on the practice squad.
The clock is ticking away for Houston as they have to make the call before they face off against the Dallas Cowboys on October 4.