AP

The Texans were fearing the worst after linebacker Brian Cushing was carted off with a left knee injury.

A league source tells PFT that early indications are that Cushing may have torn his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) but that the ACL appears to be fine. Cushing tore his ACL last season and spent the offseason rehabbing that injury.

A torn LCL would not be good news, obviously, and Cushing would likely still need surgery that would keep him out of the lineup. Avoiding a second tear of the ACL in the same knee should make for a better long-term prognosis for Cushing, however.

The source cautions that it is too early for a firm diagnosis on Cushing’s knee, so things can still change as more tests are done and doctors evaluate the result. The Texans have Week Eight off, but we’d guess that there will be updates on Cushing’s status before the team heads off on break later this week.

UPDATE 8:21 p.m. ET: Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that he received a text from Cushing that said he tore his LCL and broke his leg. Per Glazer, Cushing expects to miss the rest of the season.