SEPTEMBER 16: To’oTo’o could miss around eight weeks, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Going by that timeline, he should return in mid-November.
SEPTEMBER 15, 6:31pm: The visit went well. Murray is signing with the Texans’ practice squad, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
4:10pm: The Texans’ offseason extension spree covered their defensive first and second levels. After the Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter paydays, Houston took care of its linebackers by extending Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o. The team will be without one of these pieces for a bit, with To’oTo’o suffering a shoulder injury.
As a result, the Texans are the latest team to form a connection to Kenneth Murray. The former first-round pick is meeting with the team today, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. A Titans free agency addition in 2024, Murray was traded to the Cowboys last year. He has not signed anywhere since his contract expired in March. Murray is a Houston native.
To’oTo’o is heading to IR, Wilson reports. This will sideline the recently extended linebacker until at least Week 6, but he looks likely to be out much longer. To’oTo’o’s shoulder injury is expected to sideline him for months. The Houston starter is tied to a two-year, $16MM extension — one that included $12.42MM guaranteed. This could have been deemed a Texans-friendly deal at the time, but it now looks like To’oTo’o was wise for signing early.
Murray, 27, worked out for the Giants in July and Dolphins last month. An 83-game starter, Murray started 16 Cowboys games last season. A linebacking corps that dealt with steady injury issues could at least rely on Murray availability. The former Chargers first-rounder, though, has not lived up to expectations.
The 2020 first round brought two hits at linebacker — Patrick Queen (Ravens), Jordyn Brooks (Seahawks) — and a clear miss in Isaiah Simmons (Cardinals). Chosen 23rd overall out of Oklahoma, Murray is not necessarily a bust. He has been asked to be a full-time starter by three teams. Pro Football Focus, however, has consistently graded him as one of the league’s worst linebacker regulars. The advanced metrics site slotted Murray 86th out of 88 qualified off-ball LBs in 2025, and the Cowboys’ defense ranked as one of the NFL’s worst.
That said, the Titans gave Murray a two-year, $15.5MM deal in 2024. Ran Carthon’s GM successor (Mike Borgonzi) moved on from that contract weeks into his 2025 tenure. Despite the shaky PFF reviews, Murray has been effective as a blitzer at points. He combined for 6.5 sacks from 2023-24; he also notched 22 tackles for loss from 2022-24.
Houston is expected to sport one of the NFL’s best defenses once again. To’oTo’o will assuredly factor into the team’s IR-return equation, but the team will need to make do with other options alongside Al-Shaair for a while. The Texans drafted linebacker Wade Woodaz in the fourth round and Aiden Fisher in the seventh. The team also has former UDFA Jake Hansen on its 53-man roster. Additionally, Houston moved linebacker Jamal Hill — a 2024 sixth-round pick who has played in 20 Texans games as a backup — up from its practice squad,
