Houston Texans

Kayden McDonald

DT

McDonald was limited in practice Wednesday and missed practice Thursday, suggesting he suffered the injury in practice this week. He'll now be required to miss at least the first four games of the season. Logan Hall, Mario Edwards and Jaden Crumedy will see the rotational snaps at defensive tackle behind Tommy Togiai and Sheldon Rankins.

Dominique Robinson

DE

Robinson injured his calf during the Texans' preseason contest with the Raiders in mid-August. The defensive end was released by the Texans on Aug. 30 but promptly re-signed with the team on a one-year, $4 million deal. The 28-year-old has recovered from the calf injury just in time for Sunday's home opener against the Bills.

Jake Hansen

LB

Hansen was carted off the field at the start of training camp in late July with an ankle issue. The linebacker was listed as week-to-week as he managed the injury and has finally recovered just in time for the Texans' Week 1 showdown with the Bills.

Wade Woodaz

LB

Woodaz broke his thumb during the Texans' preseason game at Las Vegas in August, but it doesn't look like that will keep him out in Week 1 versus the Bills. The rookie fourth-rounder projects to start his career in a rotational role at linebacker.

Jadeveon Clowney

DE

Clowney sustained a soft-tissue injury to his hip during the Texans' preseason game at Las Vegas, but it appears he'll be available for Week 1. The veteran figures to settle into a rotational role on the edge behind All-Pro Will Anderson and five-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter.

British Brooks

RB

Brooks broke his hand during a practice back in early August, but it doesn't look like it's holding him back anymore. He's not likely to see many snaps on offense in Week 1, barring an injury to David Montgomery or Woody Marks.

Brevin Jordan

TE

Jordan dealt with a knee issue during training camp and the preseason, but he's on track to be available for Week 1 versus the Bills. How much playing time he'll actually see is another question, as the Texans have four other healthy tight ends on their current 53-man roster.

Jaylin Noel

WR

Noel dealt with hamstring and finger issues early on in camp but is ready to go for Sunday's season opener against Buffalo. The second-year wideout is competing with Xavier Hutchinson for snaps behind Nico Collins and trade pickup Kayshon Boutte.

Jayden Higgins

WR

ir

Kayshon Boutte

WR

Boutte ended up being the odd man out last month in a New England receiving corps that added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason. Prior to their respective arrivals, Boutte was a regular in the Patriots' passing game the last two seasons, combining for a 76-1,140-9 line on 114 targets in 29 regular-season contests during that span. He joined Houston in the wake of Jayden Higgins' torn ACL, so Boutte will be in the mix for looks from Stroud behind Nico Collins and alongside Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel (hamstring) and Jared Wayne to begin the campaign.

Tank Dell

WR

Entering the final year of his rookie deal, Dell was scheduled to collect $3.624 million, but he'll now make just over $1.7 million in 2026. Dell missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign after a catastrophic knee injury suffered toward the end of the previous season. He's now opening this season on injured reserve and won't be eligible to play until Week 5 at the earliest.

Woody Marks

RB

"The distribution ... might not be 50-50, but it will be close," Alexander wrote Aug. 23. "The Texans have utilized both nearly evenly throughout camp." Alexander expects a sort-of hot-hand approach out of the Houston backfield on a weekly basis. Marks played 10 snaps in the Texans' second preseason game and rushed four times for 37 yards and one touchdown. He also added a catch for six yards, working exclusively with the first-team offense while Montgomery was rested for that exhibition. Marks is being drafted nearly five rounds after Montgomery in fantasy.

Nico Collins

WR

Jayden Higgins had been set to start opposite Collins, but Higgins suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice, prompting the Texans to trade for Boutte from the Patriots. Dell has had the most success out of the options behind Collins, but the 2023 third-round pick hasn't suited up since the 2024 season and will miss at least the first four games of 2026. Collins has exceeded 1,000 regular-season receiving yards while scoring at least seven total touchdowns in each of the past three campaigns.

David Montgomery

RB

Montgomery is ticketed for a prominent role after coming over from Detroit in an offseason trade, but it remains to be seen just how much Marks cuts into Montgomery's usage. The 230-pound Montgomery is much better-suited for running inside and short-yardage work than the 208-pound Marks, but Montgomery recorded only 76 receptions across the past three regular seasons in Detroit, so the shifty Marks could siphon away opportunities in passing situations.

C.J. Stroud

QB

The Texans traded for Boutte from New England after Jayden Higgins tore his ACL, knocking the 2025 second-round pick out for the season. Boutte's 551 receiving yards for the Patriots in the 2025 regular season would have ranked second among Houston's wideouts behind Collins. Hutchinson had a career-high 428 receiving yards during the 2025 regular season, Noel has some intriguing upside as a 2025 third-round pick, and Houston is hoping to get Dell back eventually from the knee injury that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season. Stroud is looking to bounce back after a 2025 campaign in which he threw for career lows in both passing yards (3,041) and touchdown passes (19) during the regular season before coughing up seven turnovers in two playoff games.

Dalton Schultz

TE

Schultz, wide receiver Nico Collins and running back David Montgomery were some of the offensive starters that did not participate in preseason games, with quarterback C.J. Stroud seeing minimal action against the Raiders on Aug. 20. Schultz is coming off a productive 2025 regular season, setting a career high with 82 catches, while his 777 yards were his most since the 2021 campaign with the Cowboys (808 yards). Jayden Higgins (knee) will miss the entire 2026 season, and with Tank Dell (knee) opening the season on injured reserve, Schultz and Collins figure to be the go-to targets for Stroud in the passing game.

Sam Hagen

G

Hagen is an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State. The reserve offensive lineman is 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds. The Texans clearly valued the rookie's training camp production, as the choice to keep the young player on the active roster will give him a chance to return to the 2026 season after at least four games on IR.

Braden Smith

OT

The offensive tackle is set to miss four to six weeks with a torn plantar fascia tendon. Smith was carted off the field last Wednesday with the injury, making Trent Brown the Texans' starting right tackle for the Week 1 matchup with the Bills. Even if the 30-year-old Smith recovers quicker than his timeline predicts, the tackle will need to miss at least four regular-season games on IR before becoming eligible to return to the team's active roster.

Solomon Byrd

DE

Byrd suffered an ankle injury during last Friday's preseason finale against the Panthers. The defensive end had virtually no chance of making the 53-man roster, so he was waived with an injury designation. The 26-year-old went unclaimed and now will spend the entirety of the 2026 regular season on IR unless he is waived with an injury settlement.

Ali Gaye

DE

There's no designation to return attached to Gaye's placement on injured reserve, meaning the LSU product will be required to miss the entire 2026 season. He suffered a severe knee injury during the Texans' joint practice against the Panthers this past Wednesday. Gaye will shift his attention toward being fully healthy for the 2027 campaign.

M.J. Stewart

S

Stewart suffered a quadriceps injury in early November, ending the 2025 season on injured reserve after undergoing surgery. The safety remained sidelined throughout training camp and the preseason, and he will now be forced to miss at least four contests to open the regular season. In his absence, offseason addition Reed Blankenship will be the unquestioned No. 1 option at strong safety for Houston.

E.J. Speed

LB

Speed suffered a torn quadriceps tendon while lifting weights in May, and he underwent surgery to repair the injury. The linebacker is expected to miss the entirety of the 2026 season, and in his absence, Jake Hansen (ankle) and Henry To'oTo'o are set to operate as the team's primary outside linebackers.

Ja'Marcus Ingram

CB

Ingram will be required to miss the first four weeks of the regular season at least before he is eligible to return to the Texans' active roster. The reserve defensive back suffered a shoulder injury during the team's preseason opener against the Chargers in early August. Ingram appeared in four games for the Texans last year after being claimed off waivers from the Bills.

Nate Thomas

OT

Thomas was a fifth-round pick in 2024 by the Cowboys. He most recently played in all 17 games for Dallas in 2025-26, starting three of them. The 25-year-old will now move to Houston to join a questionable Texans offensive line heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Ka'imi Fairbairn

PK

The 32-year-old kicker heads into the regular season having not missed a kick in either of the two preseason contests in which he saw action. Fairbairn has become one of the most reliable placekickers in the league with Houston, converting better than 90 percent of his FGs in three of the last four seasons and finishing in the top five in the NFL in points each of the last two campaigns.