The Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Texans have placed Chester Pitts on the reserve/injured list, ending the starting left guard's season.
Per team policy, the Texans do not announce any transactions until they are official.
Pitts started 114 consecutive games for the Texans - every game in franchise history - before injuring his right knee at Tennessee when guard Mike Brisiel inadvertently fell on his leg in the second quarter.
Guard Kasey Studdard, a 2007 sixth-round pick from the University of Texas, replaced Pitts in the lineup. He will continue to start at left guard while Pitts is out.
"He's earned his keep," coach Gary Kubiak said of Studdard on Wednesday. "He had a great camp, played like a starter throughout training camp. All of a sudden, we lose Chester, he's ready to go. He went in the other day and there was no flinching to anything we were doing. He went in there and did his job, and he's going to play extremely hard.
"He brings an attitude to the group. He's going to make a few mistakes because this will be his first start. I know one thing, he'll give us everything he's got."
Selected in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft out of San Diego State, Pitts was a Pro Bowl alternate in 2008.
The Chronicle also is reporting that the Texans have signed safety Bernard Pollard, a 2006 second-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, to take Pitts' place on the roster. Pollard started 16 games last season in Kansas City, where he played under Texans defensive backs coach David Gibbs.
