Kevin Johnson Leaves Game vs. Bengals with Knee Injury

The Houston Texans pass defense will be without a key piece after cornerback Kevin Johnson suffered a shoulder injury Thursday.

According to Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, the Texans announced Johnson was ruled out for the remainder of the contest vs. the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium with a knee injury.

Johnson, who was Houston's first-round draft pick in 2015, made an immediate impression on his new team with 10 starts. 

His second year was cut short after he suffered a broken foot during a game against the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 16. Another injury will give Houston's coaching staff further reason to hold its breath, though the good news is the Texans secondary performed well in 2016 even without the 25-year-old.

Matt Claassen of Pro Football Focus ranked Houston's secondary as the eighth-best in the NFL last year, even with players such as Johnson and Johnathan Joseph out for a combined 13 games due to injuries. 

The Texans could go with a rotation of Joseph, Kareem Jackson and Marcus Burley as their top three cornerbacks until Johnson can return, although they announced Joseph suffered a shoulder injury Thursday.