NBC Sports Houston’s Aaron Wilson reports that the Texans “hope” LB E.J. Speed can play in 2026 after partially tearing both a quad and a quad tendon.

22 May 2026

Speed will undergo surgery to repair his injured tissue. Per Wilson, Speed faces “at least a three-month recovery followed by rehab.” He has no exact timetable. The 30-year-old linebacker suffered the partial tears while lifting weights at the Texans’ offseason workout program. Speed totaled 37 tackles and seven quarterback pressures on defense last year. His 12 special teams tackles ranked second on the team. It’s an unfortunate loss for the team.