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Injures calf Thursday
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 7:25 PM
Robinson (calf) is considered day-to-day as of Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Robinson injured his calf in Thursday night's preseason game against the Raiders. The depth defensive end will need to recover quickly if he wants to maintain any chance at making the Texans' 53-man roster. With Houston having such a deep defensive line, if Robinson cannot stick to the announced injury timeline, he could find himself out of contention to make the team. |
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Noah Whittington Noah Whittington Dealing with ankle issue
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 7:05 PM
Whittington (ankle) is regarded as day-to-day as of Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Whittington injured his ankle in Thursday night's 22-20 preseason victory over the Raiders. The running back logged nine carries for 11 yards in the contest, adding two kick returns for 44 yards as well. The undrafted free agent out of Oregon will need to recover quickly to continue making his case for a 53-man roster spot. |
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Day-to-day with thumb injury
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 7:01 PM
Woodaz (thumb) is considered day-to-day, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Woodaz was the hero of Thursday night's 22-20 preseason victory over the Raiders. The fourth-round rookie snagged an 80-yard pick-six against 2026 first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Woodaz hurt his thumb at some point during the game, but he should return to form shortly as he attempts to win a backup middle-linebacker role in a stacked Texans defense. |
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Lewis Bond Lewis Bond Three targets Thursday
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 5:20 PM
Bond caught two of his three targets for 12 yards in Thursday night's 22-20 preseason loss to the Raiders.
Analysis: Bond was targeted only three times, but he participated in 47 percent of the Texans' offensive snaps. The sixth-round rookie had a strong performance in OTAs and appears to be getting a healthy dose of preseason snaps to continue to prove himself. With Jayden Higgins (knee) being placed on season-ending injured reserve, Bond may have a chance to see consistent snaps at wide receiver during the regular season. |
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Marlin Klein Marlin Klein Consistent in second showing
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 5:15 PM
Klein caught three of four targets for 31 yards in Thursday night's 22-20 preseason loss to the Raiders.
Analysis: Klein's second career preseason game was similar to his first, as the tight end accumulated exactly 31 receiving yards again. The second-round rookie was targeted three more times than against the Chargers, catching two more passes. Klein logged 31 total snaps, playing 33 percent of the Texans' offensive snaps as well as 35 percent of the special-teams volume as a blocker. |
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Ka'imi Fairbairn Ka'imi Fairbairn Perfect against Vegas
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 5:11 PM
Fairbairn converted both field-goal attempts and both extra-point tries in Thursday night's 22-20 preseason loss to the Raiders.
Analysis: Fairbairn's longest field goal came in the second quarter, with the 57-yarder propelling the Texans to a 20-3 lead. The kicker's eight-point night should leave Texans fans confident the 32-year-old still has a strong and consistent leg as the team enters yet another year of AFC title contention. |
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Zay Jones Zay Jones Joining forces with Texans
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 4:22 PM
Jones is signing a contract with the Texans after completing a tryout with the team Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Jones and Sterling Shepard are joining Houston after the Texans lost Jayden Higgins for the season due to a torn ACL. In eight regular-season contests with the Cardinals in 2025, Jones hauled in 12 of 18 targets for 183 yards and no touchdowns. |
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Sterling Shepard Sterling Shepard Signing with Houston
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 4:16 PM
Shepard is signing with Houston after trying out with the team Friday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: With Jayden Higgins lost for the season due to a torn ACL, Houston is adding veteran depth at wide receiver in the form of Shepard and Zay Jones. Shepard caught 39 passes for 371 yards and a touchdown across 13 games for the Buccaneers in 2025, but his path to a meaningful role will depend on where he slots into the Texans' receiving mix. |
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Jayden Higgins Jayden Higgins Sent to injured reserve
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 1:31 PM
The Texans placed Higgins (knee) on injured reserve Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: It officially ends Higgins' 2026 season before it even got started after he suffered a torn ACL in practice earlier this week. It's a huge blow to the Houston offense, as Higgins was fully expected to handle WR2 duties opposite Nico Collins this season. The Texans will now turn to some combination of Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring/finger) and Tank Dell (knee), though they've also checked in on available wideouts around the league, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. Higgins will rehab throughout the season and should be ready well ahead of Week 1 of the 2027 campaign. |
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Nico Collins Nico Collins Held out of second preseason game
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 11:01 AM
Collins didn't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Raiders.
Analysis: QB C.J. Stroud got the start, but Collins, David Montgomery and a few other key veteran were held out. With fellow wideout Jayden Higgins suffering an ACL tear this summer, Collins may see a dominant portion of Houston's downfield passes and red-zone targets. That might've been the case anyway, but target competition looks much weaker with the Texans potentially using a committee to replace their No. 2 receiver. Collins should be busy Week 1 against the Bills. |
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David Montgomery David Montgomery Sits out preseason action
Fri, Aug 21, 2026, 10:46 AM
Montgomery did not play in Houston's preseason game against Las Vegas on Thursday, according to Texans Wire.
Analysis: The Texans went with a mixed crew of starters and backups to open their second preseason game. It's probably a good sign for Montgomery's Week 1 role that he was among the players rested, though second-string RB Woody Marks took advantage of the opportunity with a 20-yard TD scamper on which he broke two tackles. Montgomery still figures to get the start and most of the carries in a Week 1 home game against Buffalo. |
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Xavier Hutchinson Xavier Hutchinson Two targets from Stroud on Thursday
Thu, Aug 20, 2026, 11:11 PM
Hutchinson caught one of two targets for minus-1 yard in Thursday's 22-20 preseason loss to the Raiders.
Analysis: Both of Hutchinson's targets came from starting QB C.J. Stroud on the opening drive. Hutchinson is probably the favorite to get the second-most snaps among Houston's wide receivers in the regular season behind Nico Collins following Jayden Higgins' season-ending ACL tear, but Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Tank Dell (knee) both have more upside as pass catchers. Houston's coaching staff values Hutchinson's blocking and dependability, but he has exceeded 42 receiving yards only twice in 49 regular-season games. |
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Woody Marks Woody Marks Finds paydirt in preseason loss
Thu, Aug 20, 2026, 10:47 PM
Marks rushed four times for 37 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for six yards in Thursday's 22-20 preseason loss to the Raiders.
Analysis: All of Marks' production came on a busy opening drive for the second-year running back, which he capped off with a 20-yard touchdown run. Once the games start to count, Marks is likely to share the backfield workload with David Montgomery, who didn't appear in Thursday's exhibition game. Montgomery is the favorite to handle most of the early-down work, while Marks could see most of his opportunities in passing situations. During Marks' rookie regular season, the 2025 fourth-round pick had three receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. |
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C.J. Stroud C.J. Stroud Leads TD drive in brief outing
Thu, Aug 20, 2026, 10:34 PM
Stroud completed four of six passes for 27 yards in Thursday's 22-20 preseason loss to the Raiders.
Analysis: Stroud got the start in Houston's second preseason game after sitting out the opener. He played only one possession but led a touchdown drive, which was capped by a 20-yard Woody Marks touchdown run. Despite some struggles down the stretch last season, Stroud retains his role as the starting quarterback for a Texans offense that will be without second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins (knee) in 2026. |
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C.J. Stroud C.J. Stroud On track to play Thursday
Thu, Aug 20, 2026, 10:07 AM
Stroud is expected to play a few series during Thursday's preseason game against the Raiders, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: On Wednesday, head coach DeMeco Ryans told Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle that he was preparing to rest most of the team's starters for Thursday's game, but that apparently applied mainly to the Texans' defensive starters. Ryans wants to get a more thorough evaluation of the offensive personnel Thursday, especially when it comes to determining Houston's five starters on the offensive line heading into Week 1. According to Wilson, Stroud is expected to take around 20-to-25 snaps, so he'll likely be on the field for around two or three possessions before turning the game over to backups Davis Mills and Brett Rypien. |
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Jaylin Noel Jaylin Noel Ramping back up at practice
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 6:08 PM
Noel (hamstring/finger) returned to practice this week, and the plan is to get him ramped back up to full speed over the next couple weeks, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Noel missed a couple weeks of action with a pulled hamstring and pinkie finger issue, but he's now suddenly in the spotlight in a big way in Houston after it was reported that Jayden Higgins suffered a season-ending torn ACL this week. A third-round pick out of Iowa State in the 2025 Draft, Noel appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie but was on the field for just 26 percent of the offensive snaps behind Nico Collins, Higgins, Xavier Hutchinson and Christian Kirk. With Higgins now out and Kirk in San Francisco, there's a big opportunity for Noel to carve out a role in two- or three-wide sets. When on the field in 2025, Noel was productive, turning 35 regular-season targets into 26 catches for 292 yards (11.2 yards per catch) and a pair of touchdowns. |
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Jaylin Noel Jaylin Noel Added work following Higgins injury?
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 12:46 PM
With Jayden Higgins having reportedly suffered a torn ACL, Noel (hamstring/finger) is a candidate to see added work in Houston's offense this coming season, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Higgins had been slated to serve as the Texans' No. 2 WR behind top option Nico Collins, but in his looming absence, snaps and targets that would have gone his way are up for grabs. Per Bien-Aime, Noel hasn't practiced much throughout training camp as he's dealt with a finger issue and hamstring tightness, while Tank Dell is being eased back in following a knee injury that cost him the entire 2025 campaign. Also in the mix behind Collins is Xavier Hutchinson, but once Noel moves fully past his injury issues, he'll have a chance to claim a role in his team's offense out of the gate this season. |
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Xavier Hutchinson Xavier Hutchinson Could fill expanded role
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 12:22 PM
With Jayden Higgins having reportedly suffered a season-ending torn ACL, Hutchinson is a candidate to see added work this season behind top WR Nico Collins, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Higgins has been projected to work as the team's No. 2 WR option, but in the wake of his injury, Hutchinson as well as Jaylin Noel, (who has been managing a hamstring issue) and Tank Dell -- who is being eased back from in his return from a serious knee injury -- are candidates to absorb Higgins' vacated snaps and targets. It's also possible the Texans could bring in added wide receiver depth ahead of Week 1, but as things stand, Hutchinson has a chance to be a factor in the team's offense out of the gate this season. |
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C.J. Stroud C.J. Stroud Change in plans for Thursday's contest
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 11:50 AM
Stroud and other starters will now be rested for Thursday's preseason game against the Raiders, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday's joint practice with the Raiders gave the starters enough competitive work. He didn't explicitly say so, but his decision likely is related to WR Jayden Higgins suffering an ACL tear during Tuesday's practice. With his No. 2 receiver out for the season, Stroud is looking at a shaky group of pass catchers beyond standout No. 1 Nico Collins. |
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Jayden Higgins Jayden Higgins Suffers torn ACL at practice
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 11:25 AM
Higgins was diagnosed Wednesday with an ACL tear, which would rule him out for the 2026 season, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: We'll await confirmation from the team, but after early reports suggested a minor injury, it appears to be just the opposite, leaving Houston shorthanded at wide receiver a few weeks before the start of the regular season. Higgins seemingly was locked in for the No. 2 role, which could now be up for grabs between Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Tank Dell (knee). Fantasy interest in Noel and Dell figures to increase significantly now that Higgins is on track to be out of the picture until 2027. |
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