The Texans officially placed defensive end J.J. Watt on injured reserve today.
The team also announced the signing of defensive end Antonio Smith.
Watt, the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, is suffering from back and disc pain. It is not known if it is the same disc he underwent surgery for in July.
Per NFL rules on injured reserve, Watt would be allowed to return to practice after six weeks and could return to play after eight weeks. That, of course, depends on if he is healthy enough to play and if the Texans wanted to risk further injury for the final weeks of the season.