Noel, who was placed on injured reserve earlier Wednesday, is expected to require surgery to address his toe injury and will miss the remainder of the season, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Noel was forced out of this past Sunday's 27-21 overtime loss to the Giants after going down with the toe injury with just under nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The loss of Noel is a major blow to the Texans, as he had been serving as the team's top return man in addition to emerging as a big-play threat on offense. Through Houston's first seven games, Noel had recorded 19 receptions for a team-leading 331 yards and two touchdowns and added 26 yards on four carries.