The Texans will be without Gareon Conley for at least a little while. On Monday, Houston placed the cornerback on injured reserve, which will rule him out for a minimum of three games per the league’s modified rules for 2020. 
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Conley was activated from the PUP list in August after making strides in his recovery from arthroscopic ankle surgery. The move to IR is a frustrating setback for Conley, who was neck-and-neck with second-year pro Lonnie Johnson for a starting job. Once he’s back, Conley will push for playing time as he makes his case ahead of free agency.
The Texans declined Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, which would have paid him $10.24MM. Still, the Texans were excited to see what he could bring to the table this year. After a rocky tenure in Oakland, Conley managed eleven pass breakups in Houston. That gave him the second-highest total on the team, just two shy of team leader Jonathan Joseph. Without Conley, the Texans will move forward with Bradley Roby, Vernon Hargreaves, Lonnie Johnson, John Reid, Keion Crossen, and Phillip Gaines as their cornerbacks.
In related moves, the Texans placed wide receiver Isaiah Coulter on IR while re-signing tacke Brent Qvale and long snapper Jon Weeks.
I’m really intrigued to see Conley perform this season. He looked so promising in college, with his quickness and elite ability as a cover corner. However, even after three seasons of action, Gareon is still a bit of an enigma. I feel like he could be poised for a massive breakout season, but it’ll hinge on his health. This certainly isn’t a promising start, but he’ll have every opportunity to emerge in a lacking Houston secondary