With nearly six weeks off between the end of the offseason and the start of training camp, players have some time to reset, recharge and get away from the Houston heat.
But Christian Harris plans on doing the opposite.
The second-year linebacker plans to stay in Houston, aside from a few quick trips to San Antonio and Baton Rouge to visit family, and get ready for his second NFL season.
"I'm trying to win," Harris said on the Deep Slant podcast. "I'm staying here. That's what I've been doing. I'm just trying to get this turned around."
As a rookie, Harris missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury that landed him on the Reserve/Injured list to start the 2022 season. After working his way back to the field, Harris hit the ground running and for the final 12 games with 11 starts. He finished the season strong, recording a team-high 14 tackles and three tackles for loss against Kansas City, his first career interception at Tennessee the following week and finishing the season with his first career sack and quarterback hit in the season finale at Indianapolis.
"Yeah, the range jumps off the tape, the ability to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time," Linebackers Coach Chris Kiffin said. "He can accelerate, he's very explosive. I think for him is taking the next step in his game. He had a chance to play a number of games as a rookie. So and then now really getting a new scheme, you know, learning it as far as OTAs, I think he's done a great job and and excited to work with him."
Under Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, Harris wants to help his team win. He says his main focus is adjusting to his role in a new scheme with a new playbook. With his speed and ability to cover running backs, receivers and tight ends in short area, Harris had made the transition into the new system smoothly and brings added excitement to the position group after what he showed this offseason.
"What excites me about Christian is just his God-given ability," Ryans said. "Not many linebackers that are fast or explosive as Christian Harris is. What he's capable of becoming in this league, he's capable of becoming a really, really great linebacker. He just has to continue to improve. I saw it today at practice, it was fun to watch, right, seeing him take another step today. So, it was fun to watch. It's a progress. It doesn't happen overnight, but he's definitely having the right mindset to put the work in to become really good at his craft. I'm excited to see where he is when we start training camp."
The Texans will kick off training camp on Wednesday, July 26 at the Houston Methodist Training Center.
Training Camp presented by Xfinity is here! Seven practices begin at 9 a.m. CT, with the exception of the August 5 practice, which will start at 5:30 p.m.
Each open practice will feature fan giveaways at the Xfinity tent, player autographs, influencers and our Community Corner. Some practices will also have additional featured events, including joint practices with the Miami Dolphins and exclusive retail launches.
Fans will have shaded viewing options, surprise giveaways, live music, food trucks and much more!
Click here to see the current Texans roster and player numbers.
