The Houston Texans’ joint practice with the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte turned tense quickly on Wednesday, when two players ended up on carts before the session could settle in.
Right tackle Braden Smith and reserve defensive end Ali Gaye were both taken off the field early, with separate carts eventually meeting so the two could ride inside together, according to The Associated Press. Coach DeMeco Ryans did not offer a public update after practice on either injury or a possible timetable, leaving Houston with more questions heading into Friday’s preseason finale at Bank of America Stadium.
Reporters on site described both injuries as lower-body problems. KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson said Smith and Gaye both had leg injuries and were unable to put weight on the injured legs as they left the field.
Wilson wrote: “Both are leg injuries for #Texans Braden Smith, Ali Gaye as they share a cart inside to be examined further. Both couldn’t put weight on leg”
Later in the day, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Houston’s initial belief on Smith: “Texans believe OL Braden Smith suffered a foot injury today that led to him being carted off.”
Wilson also reported that a foot injury was being examined for Smith, per a source. Gaye’s issue has not been identified beyond the leg description from reporters at practice.
Those are still not official diagnoses. Until the team or a credentialed medical source confirms imaging results, both injuries remain unconfirmed.
Smith’s status carries the bigger ripple effect for Houston. He joined the Texans this offseason after eight seasons and 105 starts with the Indianapolis Colts. Multiple outlets described his deal as a two-year contract with a $20 million base value and a maximum value of $25 million, including $13.5 million guaranteed, per contract breakdowns from Spotrac and reporting summarized by Pro Football Rumors.
Houston brought him in to steady a right tackle spot that has been unstable for years. Trent Brown is still on the roster as swing-tackle insurance after signing a one-year deal, and if Smith misses time, Brown would be the most likely replacement.
That would change how the Texans protect C.J. Stroud and how they run the ball to the right side.
Smith had also been working back from neck surgery this offseason after missing the end of 2025 with the Colts. Limited spring work already left open the question of how quickly he would settle in as the starter, and this new lower-body issue adds another layer of uncertainty with Week 1 approaching.
Gaye’s injury matters in a different way. He is part of the depth chart, not the headline act. Houston claimed the former undrafted lineman off waivers from Tennessee in May, according to NBC Sports, and he was competing for a reserve spot behind Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
The Texans’ edge depth has already been hit this week. Defensive end Dylan Horton tore his Achilles at Monday’s practice and was placed on injured reserve. He will miss the 2026 season, per reporting from NBC Sports and the Houston Chronicle’s sources as circulated across multiple outlets.
Anderson and Hunter still anchor one of the league’s best starting pass-rush duos, but losing Horton and now waiting on Gaye trims the rotation behind them.
This latest scare comes during a camp that has already been ravaged by injuries. A week earlier, Houston lost second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins for the season after he tore his ACL during a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug.
- Sources told ESPN and NFL Network that Higgins will miss all of 2026.
Higgins, the 34th pick in the 2025 draft out of Iowa State, had 41 catches for 525 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie. He was expected to give Nico Collins a big-bodied partner in the passing game for Stroud. That plan is gone.
The bigger issue for Houston is the accumulation. The Texans entered camp trying to build around a defense that can travel and an offense that still needs clean protection and a dependable second receiver. Every cart that rolls out in August makes that balancing act tougher.
Friday’s preseason game against Carolina will not settle the medical questions. Ryans or the team’s injury report will have to do that. For now, Smith’s foot and Gaye’s leg are still where late-camp injuries often live: reported, unresolved, and capable of reshaping the depth chart fast.
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