Jalen Pitre may have missed the final month of the regular season, but the third-year defensive back won’t miss much of the Houston Texans off-season training.
Pitre spoke to the media for the first time since he suffered end of season shoulder surgery in December. Man of the Year winner Walter Payton said his recovery is going well as he continues to be challenged by Houston’s training staff.
“I’m in a good mental state,” Pitre said. “They’re doing a good job of keeping me there, that’s for sure.”
One of the standout players in DeMeco Ryans’ secondary, Pitre’s stellar season in the nickel ended in the second quarter of the Week 12 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Initially, Pitre wanted to play through his injury, but a second opinion from doctors canceled the plan and led to a shortened season.
The nickel position for Houston took a hit three weeks later when veteran Jimmie Ward suffered a season-ending foot injury against the Kansas City Chiefs. Myles Bryant has held his own over the past four games, but the Texans’ quest to a Super Bowl was cut short in the divisional round against the Chiefs on Saturday afternoon.
“We let some plays slip away, which ultimately showed a little bit at the end,” Pitre said. “For the most part there was good energy, good competition, I thought they did a really good job.”
Pitre, who finished with 65, six tackles for loss and eight assists, improved significantly after moving from safety to the nickel position. He plans to build off a successful but shortened season as Houston continues its quest to overcome the pillar of divisional round woes.
“I am very grateful to play for the Houston Texans and I play with so many great players…I’m very grateful to be here,” Pitre said. “I’m looking forward to the future.”
The Texans (11-8) have the 25th overall pick in April’s draft.
This article was originally published on Texans Wire: Texans DB Jalen Pitre provides update on chest injuries next season
