Houston's fears have come true.
An MRI exam on Sunday confirmed Texans running back Lamar Miller suffered a torn ACL that will likely force him to miss the entire 2019 season, NFL Media reported, citing an unidentified source.
#Texans RB Lamar Miller does, in fact, have a torn ACL, source said. The MRI confirmed today. His season is over and Houston has a new starting RB.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2019
Miller was carted off the field after a big hit from Cowboys defensive lineman Maliek Collins in Houston's preseason matchup with Dallas on Saturday. Miller appeared to be hit on the outside of his leg, which caused it to be bent in the wrong direction.
Oh no Lamar Miller pic.twitter.com/wz9IOAbQhl
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 24, 2019
"That was hard," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said, via the team's official website. "He’s just an awesome guy. He’s meant a lot to me personally and it’s just a tough thing to see."
Added defensive end J.J. Watt: "It is so tough. He is an important piece of our puzzle. He is a guy we all love. We love having him out there and competing with all of us side by side. You just hate to see it."
Miller, 28, rushed for 973 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games for Houston last season. In total, he's rushed for 2,934 yards and 13 touchdowns over three years with the Texans after spending the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins.
Houston went 4-0 in games Miller rushed for 100 yards or more in 2018 and 5-1 in games he carried the football at least 17 times.
He is set to become a free agent at the end of this season after signing a four-year contract worth $26 million with the Texans in 2016.