In an October Monday Night Football match-up with the Denver Broncos last season, Houston lost one of their strongest offensive linemen when right tackle Derek Newton tore both patellar tendons. The traumatic injury put an end to his 2016 season and required surgery on both knees.
During the offseason, Newton has been rehabbing and making progress on his long road to recovery, but his timeline for return remains unclear. This same injury has proven career-ending for other NFL players in the past. While we are not at that stage with Newton yet, his immediate future as a player is very much in question.