HOUSTON – Wide receiver Santana Moss is inactive for the Redskins on Sunday and will not play in their season-opener at Houston, marking the first time in his 10 seasons with the team he has been a healthy scratch.
Moss, the team’s backup slot receiver, has not been inactive since Week 11 in 2011, when he missed the last of four games after breaking a bone in his left hand. He had occasionally missed games in previous seasons because of a groin injury.
In all, Moss has played in 136 of 144 games since being traded from the New York Jets following the 2004 season.
With Moss inactive, the Redskins will keep wide receivers Aldrick Robinson and rookie Ryan Grant, a fifth-round draft pick, in the rotation behind starters Pierre Garçon, DeSean Jackson and Andre Roberts, the team’s top slot receiver.
Also inactive for Washington on Sunday are rookie offensive linemen Morgan Moses and Spencer Long, third quarterback Colt McCoy and defensive end Frank Kearse.
The team previously ruled out cornerback Tracy Porter with a strained hamstring and inside linebacker Akeem Jordan with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Neither player was able to practice at all this past week.
For Houston, tight end Garrett Graham, wide receiver DeVier Posey, strong safety Shiloh Keo, strongside linebacker Jason Ankrah, left tackle Jeff Adams, nose tackle Louis Nix III and third quarterback Tom Savage, a rookie, are inactive.
The omission of Posey, the Texans’ slot receiver, from the gameday lineup comes as a mild surprise. He was not listed on the injury report this week.
Graham has been battling an unspecified back injury and will be replaced on the starting unit by C.J. Fiedorowicz, a third-round rookie out of Iowa.
• Zac Boyer can be reached at zboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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