Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins suffered a torn ACL during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders, sources told NFL Network, dealing a significant blow to the Texans receiving corps, which was already working with limited depth.
Higgins went down during red zone 11-on-11 drills when he ran a route in the end zone and fell awkwardly. He was unable to get up immediately but eventually limped off under his own power. Coach DeMeco Ryans said after practice that the team was evaluating the severity of the injury. The Texans confirmed the injury Wednesday.
The loss of Higgins for the season removes one of the most productive young receivers from a Houston offense built around quarterback C.J. Stroud. Higgins, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft, had been off to a strong start to training camp and was expected to build on a solid rookie year in which he started 10 games and produced 525 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Who fills the gap
With Higgins out, Houston will lean more heavily on Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel. None of the three is currently at full health.
Dell has been working his way back from a serious knee injury suffered in December 2024 that kept him off the field for the entirety of the 2025 season. Noel has dealt with a broken finger and hamstring tightness throughout training camp and has been limited in practice.
Hutchinson is the healthiest of the three and represents the most reliable option at the moment. The sixth-round pick from the 2023 draft had his best professional season last year, posting career highs with 35 receptions, 428 yards and three touchdowns. Stepping into a larger role was not part of the plan entering camp, but the Higgins injury changes the calculus immediately.
The context of the injury
Joint practices have become increasingly common on NFL preseason schedules because they allow teams to work against different opponents in a competitive environment without the injury risk of an actual game. Tuesday’s session in Houston is a reminder that the risk does not disappear entirely in a practice setting, particularly in contact situations during red zone work.
Higgins went into training camp as one of the more anticipated second-year players on the roster. The ACL tear is one of the more serious non-contact injuries a wide receiver can sustain, and recovery timelines typically run into the following spring, and the Texans can expect the 2027 season as the realistic return window rather than any mid-2026 comeback.
The injury complicates what was already a Texans wide receiver room with question marks around Dell’s return from his knee injury. The combination of Higgins’s absence, Dell’s uncertain availability and Noel’s camp limitations means Hutchinson may be required to function as the team’s most dependable receiver for at least the early portion of the season.
The Texans have not announced any transactions in response to the injury, and it remains to be seen whether they will pursue an addition at the position before the regular season begins.
