Savage (shoulder) has been placed on season-ending injured reserve, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Diagnosed with a severe shoulder sprain, Savage probably won't be healthy until the middle of the regular season. Even if healthy, he only would have been the third quarterback, behind both Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. A fourth-round draft pick in 2014, Savage will likely have to compete for a roster spot next year.

Savage is dealing with a shoulder sprain that will sideline him 4-to-6 weeks, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Given the presence of Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett on the Texans' roster, the team has no reason to rush Savage back, but his absence will represent a hit to the team's QB depth in the meantime.

Savage left Thursday's game with a right shoulder injury, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Savage reported to the locker room Thursday after taking a hit and landing awkwardly on his shoulder. The third-string quarterback was evaluated by team trainers, but no further information on the extent of his injury has been disclosed at this point.

Savage will start Thursday night's preseason final against the Cowboys, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Savage is expected to play the entire game as the team chooses not to expose either starter Brian Hoyer or backup Ryan Mallett to any potential injury. Through the first three preseason games, Savage has completed 28-of-45 passes for 323 yards, two touchdowns and non interceptions.

Savage completed 8-of-14 for 97 yards and a 10-yard touchdown pass to rookie Jaelen Strong in Saturday's preseason opener.

All three Houston quarterbacks experienced some level of success Saturday, but it's well established that Savage is third on the depth chart. He played the entire second half, engineering three scores in his five drives.

With Texans head coach Bill O'Brien alternating quarterbacks Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett with the first team offense, according to the Houston Chronicle, that means Savage is expected to serve as the team's third-string quarterback.

Savage got some snaps during his rookie year, but a knee injury ended his 2014 season early. He's fully healthy heading into mini-camp, but there's little chance he'll unseat Hoyer or Mallett.

Savage (knee) is out of his brace, but remains unsure of a timetable for recovery, ESPN's Tania Ganguli reports.

Savage fully expects to be ready for the start of the 2015 season, but the exact direction the Texans plan to go with the quarterback position remains to be seen. The 24-year-old attempted just 19 passes in his rookie campaign, completing 10 for a total of 127 yards, one interception and no touchdowns.

Savage (knee) is out for Sunday's game against the Jaguars, the Texans' official site reports.

With Savage still out, Case Keenum will his second straight start at QB for the Texans on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Savage (knee) continues to miss practice, the Texans' official site reports.

With Savage still sidelined, Case Keenum appears on track to make his second straight start at QB for the Texans on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Coach Bill O'Brien indicated Monday that Savage (knee) will not be available Sunday against the Ravens, the Houston Chronicle reports.

The report notes that Savage could be out longer, with the Texans' Week 16 starter at QB yet to be determined. On that front, the team will choose between Case Keenum and Thad Lewis.

Savage -- who absorbed a hit to the knee late in Sunday's loss to the Colts -- has an MRI on tap, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Per the Houston Chronicle, Savage was sporting a large brace on his left knee after Sunday's game, and with Ryan Fitzpatrick (who Savage replaced Sunday) having suffered a fractured tibia, the Texans are suddenly left with Thad Lewis as their only healthy QB. Look for the team to sign another QB on Monday, with Savage's status for Week 16 cloudy at this stage.

Savage made his NFL debut in Sunday's win over the Titans.

It was a late-game appearance with Houston up by several scores and Savage did little more than hand off the ball or take a knee.

Coach Bill O'Brien noted Thursday that he is leaning toward Savage serving as Ryan Fitzpatrick's top backup Sunday against the Titans, Deepi Sidhu of HoustonTexans.com reports.

With Ryan Mallett on IR, Fitzpatrick is back as the Texans' starting QB, and while the team has added Thad Lewis to the backup mix, the report suggests that he probably needs more time before he becomes a candidate to potentially supplant Savage.

Savage's status as the third quarterback is unlikely to change after the news broke that Houston acquired quarterback Ryan Mallett from New England. The Texans traded for Mallett and then released Case Keenum, according to the Houston Chronicle reports.

Head coach Bill O'Brien did not like what he saw out of Case Keenum in preseason and moved quickly to replace him. Keenum had beat out Savage to be the top backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Mallett is likely to be the No. 2 quarterback while the Texans groom Savage as the future QB. Though it's not out of the question that Mallett changes that plan.

Savage completed 8-of-12 passes for 43 yards, a sack and an interception that was returned for a touchdown in Thursday night's preseason loss to San Francisco. He finished with a quarterback rating of 37.8.

Savage entered the game in the second quarter, replacing game starter Case Keenum, who had similar numbers (8-of-17, 70 yards, one pick). Head coach Bill O'Brien assessed the quarterback play post-game, telling reporters that "it wasn't very good," according to CSN Houston. O'Brien added that the poor play wasn't on the quarterbacks alone; he pointed to protection breakdowns and poor route running. The end result is that there should be no change in the quarterback depth chart. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the starter followed by Keenum then Savage.

Savage will play in Thursday night's preseason finale after starter Case Keenum, the Houston Chronicle reports.

The plan calls for Keenum to start with Savage entering the game sometime after that. Head coach Bill O'Brien did not have an exact breakdown of playing time. It may be a case where in-game situations dictate the decision of which quarterback will direct a particular drive. This final preseason game is being used to evaluate both quarterbacks in the competition to back up No. 1 quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Savage has "closed the gap" in the competition with Case Keenum for Houston's backup quarterback job, CSN Houston reports.

Head coach Bill O'Brien said both Keenum and Savage had good moments in Saturday's preseason win over Denver, but Savage's game-winning touchdown drive was impressive enough to re-calibrate his assessment of the competition. Keenum remains the leader after preseason Week 3, but by less of a margin than he held entering the game.

Savage completed 5-of-6 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown in Saturday night's preseason win over Denver.

Savage entered the game late in the fourth quarter and engineered a game-winning touchdown drive. It was good experience for the rookie, however, he remains behind Case Keenum as the top backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Savage is "still a little behind" Case Keenum in the battle for Houston's backup quarterback job, CSN Houston reports.

Head coach Bill O'Brien feels Savage still has some learning to do, though the coach has his concerns about Keenum, too. O'Brien feels Keenum needs to get rid of the ball quicker. The battle for the backup job will continue on through the rest of the preseason, but it sounds like Savage will be the third QB at best to start the season.

Savage entered Saturday's preseason game after starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He completed 4-of-5 passes for eight yards.

Savage had a couple of drives with the first- and second-team offense but did little before he was replaced late in the second quarter so that Fitzpatrick could have a chance to engineer a two-minute drill. Despite Savage being the second quarterback Saturday, the backup job still belongs to Case Keenum or a veteran to be named later should Keenum not be up to the task.