Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn suffered a minor leg muscle pull during warmupsSaturday nightthat isn't expected to sideline him for the season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Texans coach David Culley emphasized that Fairbairn, who was replaced by safety Justin Reid as the kicker during a preseason loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could have played if it had been absolutely necessary.
"No concerns at all," Culley said when asked if there was any worries about Fairbairn's availability for the first game of the regular season.
Meanwhile, starting safety Eric Murray left the game with a minor leg muscle pull and didn't return. Backup safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. was held out as a precautionary measure due to a leg muscle injury sustained during practice.
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Culley said that both players would have been able to play if this had been an actual game.
"Lonnie and Eric had a little tweak," Culley said. "We didn't want to take a chance on them getting a pull or anything. If we were playing a regular season game, they would have been able to play."
Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham, the leading tackler in the NFL last season, missed the game for personal reasons.
Texans wide receiver Anthony Miller (dislocated left shoulder), return specialist Andre Roberts (bruised knee), safety A.J. Moore, cornerback Bradley Roby and defensive end Jon Greenard (sprained ankle) didn't play along with quarterback Deshaun Watson (trade request).
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.