Injury sustained at joint practice
Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins tore the ACL in his knee during a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday in Houston, and the injury will sideline him for the entire 2026 NFL season. The second-year receiver was listed alongside Nico Collins and Xavier Hutchinson as a starting wide receiver on the Texans' first unofficial depth chart. The injury was reported Wednesday by sources to NFL Network, NFL on Prime and KPRC2 Houston.
Status of the receiving corps
The loss leaves Houston to lean on its remaining wide receiver options. Justin Watson, Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel are among the Texans' other wide receivers, with Dell still recovering from the multiple knee injuries he sustained in 2024 that kept him out of the 2025 campaign. Noel, who has been dealing with hamstring and pinky injuries, returned to practice Tuesday in Houston.
Rookie production and draft pedigree
Higgins, a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, recorded 41 catches for 525 yards and six touchdowns over 17 appearances last season, including 10 starts as a rookie. His absence removes a productive secondary option from the Texans' passing attack heading into the regular season.
Texans' upcoming schedule
The Texans are scheduled to host the Raiders in a preseason matchup at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday in Houston, followed by a preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 28 in Charlotte, N.C. Houston will open the regular season at home against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 13.
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