Texans Quarterback Matt Leinart Joins Schaub With Season-Ending Injury

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Leinart will miss the rest of the National Football League season with a fractured collarbone, leaving the team with third stringer T.J. Yates at starter as it seeks to make the playoffs for the first time.

Leinart was injured during the first half of yesterday’s 20-13 win against Jacksonville. He was hurt two weeks after starting quarterback Matt Schaub was lost for the season with a broken bone in his right foot.

Yates will start the Texans’ Dec. 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons, with Kellen Clemens as the backup. Houston, which leads the American Football Conference South division with an 8-3 record, will look to add another quarterback, coach Gary Kubiak said. Jeff Garcia, Brodie Croyle and Chase Clement have had workouts with the Texans and Kubiak didn’t rule out the possibility of contacting 42-year-old Brett Favre, who retired after playing the past two seasons in Minnesota.

“I don’t think you rule out anybody,” Kubiak told reporters. “There’s a lot of names being mentioned. We’ve got to continue to work through the process. I’m not going to rule out anybody, nor confirm anybody.”

Favre told SI.com’s Peter King yesterday via text message that he isn’t up to playing again.

The Texans, who have had one winning season in their 10- year history, are tied for the best record in the AFC.

To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at matuszewski@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net