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Joshua Pitsenberger Joshua Pitsenberger Placed on injured reserve
Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 1:03 PM
The Texans placed Pitsenberger (ankle) on injured reserve Saturday.
Analysis: Pitsenberger suffered an ankle injury in Friday's preseason loss to the Chargers. The running back was set to be sidelined for at least a few weeks but will now miss the entirety of the 2026 season. The only way Pitsenberger could hope to play in 2026 is if he were waived with an injury settlement. |
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Graham Mertz Graham Mertz Moved to IR
Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 12:53 PM
The Texans placed Mertz (knee) on injured reserve Saturday.
Analysis: Mertz suffered a torn ACL during Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers. The quarterback's season was over, so a move to injured reserve is not surprising. The Texans signed Brett Rypien in a corresponding move. |
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Brett Rypien Brett Rypien Signs with Houston
Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 12:48 PM
The Texans signed Rypien to a contract Saturday.
Analysis: With Graham Mertz (knee) being moved to season-ending injured reserve, the Texans were looking for another quarterback to bolster depth at the position. Rypien played in one regular-season game for the Bengals in 2025, taking just three offensive snaps. The quarterback will sit behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills as an emergency option. |
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Joshua Pitsenberger Joshua Pitsenberger Nursing ankle injury
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 11:14 PM
Pitsenberger will be sidelined for a "couple weeks" due to an ankle injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Pitsenberger may have picked up the injury during the Texans' 27-7 loss to the Chargers in Thursday's preseason game, when he turned nine carries into 33 yards while playing 25 snaps (20 on offense, five on special teams). If the two-week recovery timeline is accurate, then Pitsenberger would be out for this Thursday's exhibition game against the Raiders, though he could be back for the Texans' preseason finale against the Panthers on Friday, Aug. 28. |
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Ka'imi Fairbairn Ka'imi Fairbairn Idle against Bolts
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 8:37 PM
Fairbairn did not play in the Texans' 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers on Thursday.
Analysis: With Fairbairn on the sidelines, Chris Freeman served as the Texans' kicker Thursday, with the latter missing his lone field goal attempt from 61 yards out. Freeman was waived by Houston on Friday, leaving Fairbairn as the only kicker on the 90-man roster. Unless the Texans sign another kicker to the roster, Fairbairn figures to play in each of the last two preseason games, with the next taking place this Thursday at home against the Raiders. |
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Jayden Higgins Jayden Higgins Sits for preseason opener
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 8:28 PM
Higgins did not play in Thursday's 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers.
Analysis: Higgins was joined by Nico Collins, Jaylin Noel and Tank Dell (knee) on the sidelines for Thursday's preseason game, with fourth-year wideout Xavier Hutchinson, Justin Watson and Jared Wayne being the Texans' three starting wideouts. Higgins is coming off a solid rookie campaign, when he caught 41 passes (on 68 targets) for 525 yards and six touchdowns across 17 regular-season games. He's positioned as the clear WR2 for the Texans behind Collins while Hutchinson, Noel and Dell provide depth at the position. |
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Dalton Schultz Dalton Schultz Idle for preseason opener
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 8:20 PM
Schultz did not play in Thursday's 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers.
Analysis: Schultz joined several starters on the sidelines Thursday, with Cade Stover leading all tight ends with 26 snaps on offense, followed by Foster Moreau (21). Although C.J. Stroud struggled at times in 2025, Schultz finished the regular season with a career-high 82 catches (on 106 targets) for 777 yards and three touchdowns across 17 games. He should be a favored target of Stroud for the upcoming season, though Schultz's target share could take a slight dip when wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) is back in the fold. |
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Plays Thursday
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 8:16 PM
Hill made two tackles (one solo) during Thursday night's preseason opener against the Chargers.
Analysis: Hill played 42 total snaps Thursday, with 33 defensive reps. The linebacker contributed on exactly 50 percent of the Texans' defensive plays. Hill underwent a procedure to address a wrist ligament injury during the offseason but appears to have fully recovered from the surgery. |
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Plays in preseason opener
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 8:11 PM
Hamilton logged four tackle assists in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Chargers.
Analysis: Hamilton logged 36 defensive snaps in the contest, taking the field for 56 percent of the Texans' total defensive snaps. The interior lineman had a solid night, managing to get hands on rushers consistently. The 23-year-old will likely need to make a few more splash plays this preseason for a stronger chance to survive cutdown day. |
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Graham Mertz Graham Mertz Suffers torn ACL
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 5:57 PM
Mertz (knee) suffered a torn ACL during Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: With the severity of the injury confirmed, Mertz will undergo season-ending surgery shortly. The reserve quarterback behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills played just one half of football in 2026, completing four of seven passes for 23 yards and rushing three times for 15 yards. The Texans will likely bring in another quarterback to shore up the unit's depth before the start of the regular season. |
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Graham Mertz Graham Mertz ACL tear feared
Fri, Aug 14, 2026, 8:19 AM
The Texans believe that Mertz tore his ACL during Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per Schefter, there is expected to be additional testing to confirm Mertz's injury, but at this stage it doesn't look good for the 2025 sixth-rounder. As a result, look for Houston to bring in added QB depth behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills in short order. |
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Suffers shoulder injury
Thu, Aug 13, 2026, 11:15 PM
Ingram suffered a shoulder injury in Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Ingram's shoulder was in a sling after the exhibition. The defensive back appeared in 11 regular-season games with the Bills and Texans last season, compiling 12 tackles (seven solo) and a pair of pass breakups. |
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Graham Mertz Graham Mertz Suffers knee injury Thursday
Thu, Aug 13, 2026, 11:11 PM
Mertz suffered a knee injury in Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Mertz limped to the locker room at halftime and will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury after coach DeMeco Ryans hinted after the exhibition that it could be an ACL issue. Mertz completed four of seven passes for 23 scoreless yards prior to his departure Thursday. He also rushed three times for 15 yards. |
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Marlin Klein Marlin Klein Team-high 31 receiving yards in debut
Thu, Aug 13, 2026, 11:04 PM
Klein caught his only target for 31 yards in Thursday's 27-7 preseason loss to the Chargers.
Analysis: Klein's lone catch gained enough yards to lead the Texans in receiving yards as Houston's offense struggled to produce while the team's starters rested in the preseason opener. Houston drafted Klein 59th overall out of Michigan, and the rookie second-round pick is likely to begin his career in a backup role behind Dalton Schultz. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Klein was known more for his blocking than his receiving ability in college. |
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C.J. Stroud C.J. Stroud DNP in preseason opener
Thu, Aug 13, 2026, 10:09 PM
Stroud didn't suit up for Thursday's 27-7 preseason-opening loss to the Chargers.
Analysis: Houston rested its starters, including Stroud. Davis Mills led a touchdown drive on Houston's first possession before being replaced by third-string quarterback Graham Mertz, who subsequently injured his knee, prompting Mills to return to the game. Stroud had a forgettable playoff showing last season, but he remains locked in as Houston's starting QB ahead of Mills. |
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Woody Marks Woody Marks Not slated to play Thursday
Thu, Aug 13, 2026, 5:05 PM
Marks isn't in line to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Chargers, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Marks is slated to be among key Texans skill-position players that won't suit up for the team's exhibition opener. Fellow RB and offseason addition David Montgomery also is on that list, and with Jawhar Jordan (hip) and British Brooks (hand) dealing with injuries, Houston's backfield may be populated by just Noah Whittington, Josh Pitsenberger and Owen Wright on Thursday. As a fourth-round rookie last season, Marks notched 196 carries for 703 yards and two touchdowns and hauled in 24 of 36 targets for 208 yards and three more TDs in 16 regular-season games, and while he'll still see his share of touches in 2026, his workload could take a hit with Montgomery on board. |
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Nico Collins Nico Collins Showing no rust ahead of 2026
Wed, Aug 12, 2026, 9:29 PM
Collins has been in top form at practice ahead of the 2026 campaign, John Harris of the Texans' official website reports.
Analysis: Collins took a bit of a step back in 2025, catching 71 of a career-high 120 targets for 1,117 yards and six scores over 15 regular-season contests. On the surface, it certainly appears to have been another impressive campaign, which it was, but his 4.7 receptions per game, 74.5 yards per contest and six scores were the wide receiver's lowest figures since 2022. Quarterback C.J. Stroud had a down year in 2025, and if he can get back on track this season, Collins will reap the benefits most substantially. The wideout made a series of impressive plays at practice Tuesday, connecting with Stroud on a handful of occasions. Collins is still considered to be a fantasy WR1 option in 2026, and he appears to be on track to hit the ground running Week 1 against Buffalo. |
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C.J. Stroud C.J. Stroud Not expected to see action in preseason opener
Wed, Aug 12, 2026, 3:10 PM
Stroud is among the Texans' starters not expected to play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Chargers, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Analysis: Per Alexander, Thursday's contest is likely to feature rookies and journeyman players trying to make the Texans' 53-man roster rather than established starters. In that scenario, Stroud's next chance to see preseason action will occur Aug. 20 against the Raiders. Davis Mills and Graham Mertz are available to handle QB reps against Los Angeles on Thursday. |
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David Montgomery David Montgomery Getting involved in pass game
Tue, Aug 11, 2026, 9:45 PM
Montgomery caught an 80-yard touchdown on a wheel route in Tuesday's practice, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: It was the biggest play of training camp to date, according to Bien-Aime, and it's further proof that the Texans are serious about getting Montgomery involved in the passing game after he was used more as the thunder to Jahmyr Gibbs' lightning in Detroit the previous couple seasons. Despite losing those chances to Gibbs with the Lions, Montgomery has shown in the past that he's more than capable of making plays as a receiver. He caught 54 passes in 2020 with the Bears and secured 36 of 38 targets for 341 yards in 2024. While Woody Marks will have a role, Montgomery is expected to open the season as the clear RB1 in Houston. |
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Chris Freeman Chris Freeman Picked up by Houston
Mon, Aug 10, 2026, 8:38 PM
The Texans signed Freeman on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Freeman tried out with the team during rookie minicamp back in May, and now he's getting his first NFL contract after going undrafted out of Connecticut. At this point, it's believed that he was brought on board primarily to afford veteran Ka'imi Fairbairn more reps off during practice. |
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