The Houston Texans had Day 1 of OTAs start on Wednesday. They have multiple practices that are running until June 5, with training camp slated to start in late July.
OTAs are voluntary, but guys typically show up to get some work in with teammates and coaches. Jonathan M Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reported that Joe Mixon was a non-participant at Wednesday's OTAs, but shockingly, LB Christian Harris was on the list.
Christian Harris Wasn’t Present at Wednesday’s OTAs
Fans in the replies weren't thrilled to see the news about Harris, considering he's coming off a bad 2024 campaign. He missed the first 13 games of the season after suffering a calf injury in July before returning in December.
In three games, Harris had 20 total tackles, one TFL, and one sack. According to PFF, he had a 40 overall grade (176th among 189 graded linebackers), 56.1 run defense grade (150th among 189 graded linebackers), and a 38.7 coverage grade (166th among 189 graded linebackers).
Even before an injury-ridiculed season in 2024, Harris was an up-and-down player in his first two seasons. From 2022-2023, Harris had 175 total tackles and 13 TFLs, but he wasn't the most aware defender in the middle of the field.
Christian Harris PFF grades 2022 | Christian Harris PFF grades 2023 |
|---|---|
Overall Grade: 28.1 (178th among 182 LBs) | Overall Grade: 60.1 (108th among 179 LBs) |
Run Defense Grade: 29.1 (174th among 182 LBs) | Run Defense Grade: 48.1 (159th among 179 LBs) |
Coverage Grade: 29.6 (164th among 182 LBs) | Coverage Grade: 66.0 (60th among 179 LBs) |
In addition to his shaky play on the field, he's heading into the final year of his rookie deal. This isn't the right step that the Alabama product should take going into a contract year.
Not showing up to the first day of OTAs isn't the best look for Harris and makes him an easy talking point. There will be six more OTA practices before the mandatory minicamp runs from June 10 to June 11.
Regardless, Harris needs to come into this year with the right mindset. If not, he will make it fairly easy for the Texans to say goodbye to him next offseason or even before the season rolls around.