HOUSTON -- Texans tight end Owen Daniels has a torn knee ligament and will have season-ending surgery to repair the injury.

Daniels, who injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, was hurt on Houston's second possession in Sunday's win at Buffalo when he caught his foot in the turf.

The fourth-year player from the University of Wisconsin, a Pro Bowl pick last year, entered Sunday's game as the leading receiver among NFL tight ends and finished with 40 receptions for 519 yards and five touchdowns.

He'll be replaced by Joel Dreessen when the Texans travel to Indianapolis on Sunday. His injury is potentially a big blow to an offense that has been among the NFL's best this season, and is a setback for a team that's off to a franchise-best 5-3 start.

The development was first reported by the Houston Chronicle and comes as no surprise to Daniels, who also tore his ACL as a senior in high school.

"My knee doesn't feel good, and I'm really concerned," Daniels told the newspaper on Sunday after the game. "There's always a little bit of hope, but the worst-case scenario is that I'll be back and ready to go next year."

Daniels said it's possible a defender bumped or grabbed him just as he was making his cut. He went down and lay on the field for several minutes before he was helped up by Texans trainers and unable to put any weight on his right leg.

"I was running my route, and I planted and made my cut and felt something," Daniels said. "There was some contact, but it wasn't like I was being tackled."

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