HOUSTON – When Texans standout kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn strained his right quadriceps against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the injury interrupted a stellar start to the season.
Fairbairn hurt his leg against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was replaced by emergency kicker Dare Ogunbowale, a running back who made a key 29-yard field goal and handled kickoffs for the entire second half.
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Fairbairn was having one of his top seasons, making 18 of 19 field goals before hewas placed on injured reserve.
Now, Fairbairn has been designated for return and will be officially activated to kick Sunday against the Tennessee Titans after replacement kicker Matt Ammendola was released from the practice squad earlier this week.
“It’s just kind of like riding a bike mentally going through the routine of everything and getting ready for Sunday,” Fairbairn said. “I’ve done it before. I tried to stay in my process while I was out taking mental reps, doing the best I could staying locked in. It felt good, enjoyed being back with the guys. It’s some meaningful games coming up. I’m looking forward to it.”
#Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn said being back is 'like riding a bike' @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/6Rj8JTvSi6
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 13, 2023
Fairbairn made 29 of 31 field goals last year and 15 of 19 kicks in 2021.
Fairbairn has made 166 of 192 career field goals, an 86.5 success rate, and 199 of 215 extra points.
“Ka’imi was performing at a really good level and we’re expecting him to come back and pick up right where he left off,” Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross said. “When we cross that line to go for it, we feel good about it. We’re excited to have him and he has a good level of trust with his teammates.
“Points are at a premium any Sunday. The games we’ve been in are all one-score games up until last week, so we got to make sure our foot is down on the gas pedal for this Sunday.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.