Hearing the heart-breaking news that Houston Texans’ safety Andre Hal was diagnosed with lymphoma certainly brings the reality that this game we all love is played by living breathing men with families and lives that go far beyond the gridiron to the forefront.
As we hope and pray for Hal’s rapid and full recovery, many eyes are already turning to the “next man up”. Houston head coach Bill O’Brien may already have an idea in mind and general manager Brian Gaine may or may not be eyeballing someone not on the roster, like say Earl Thomas, a replacement should be identified before the start of training camp.