The Houston Texans will head into Sunday’s game in Nashville without seven players on the active roster, and the names on the list mostly line up with what the team had been signaling all week.
The most notable absence is rookie tight end Marlin Klein, who will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Houston’s thinking entering Week 5 was that Brevin Jordan gives them more on special teams than Klein does right now, and that same approach appears to be holding for the matchup with Tennessee. If that stays the course, Klein’s next opportunity figures to come in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Texans are also taking it easy on several other young players. Fourth-round offensive lineman Febechi Nwaiwu is still waiting for his first NFL game action after sitting out the last four weeks. Seventh-round linebacker Aiden Fisher is out again after his first healthy scratch earlier this season, while Collin Wright and Chris Braswell will also stay on the sideline this week.
Houston has a couple more players unavailable who do not appear on the inactives list because their 21-day practice windows were opened from injured reserve earlier in the week. Offensive tackle Braden Smith and wide receiver Tank Dell are both being held back for at least one more game.
Tennessee’s list includes one of the bigger names in the game: safety Amani Hooker. He was already ruled out before kickoff after suffering a concussion in Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Titans are also down two running backs, with rookie Nick Singleton and Michael Carter both out. That leaves Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and Julius Chestnut to handle the backfield work.
Houston and Tennessee kick off at 12 p.m. MT at Nissan Stadium, with both teams still searching for their first win of the 2026 season after an 0-4 start.
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For Houston, the timing matters. The Texans already have a strong defensive line, and now they may face a Jaguars front that has to adjust without one of its key edge protectors. However the Jaguars sort out the spot, the left side of their line will be under immediate scrutiny against a Texans pass rush that should see this as a chance to tilt the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
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For Arizona, the trade closes a tense chapter that never seemed to settle into the expected rhythm. Harrisons production dipped in year two, and the backdrop around his time with the Cardinals included a reported disagreement over a workout machine purchase, one of those odd little details that can take on outsized meaning when a relationship starts to fray. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort thanked Harrison in a statement and wished him well, while Houston now gets to see whether a fresh start can unlock the player both sides envisioned. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Sees One Big Challenge For Texans New Weapon
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For Stroud, though, the biggest hurdle is not talent. It is the adjustment that comes with a new locker room and a new offense, the kind of transition every receiver has to absorb before the production follows. For Houston, that means the early focus will be on getting Harrison comfortable and up to speed, because the upside is obvious once he settles in. [Read more 🡒]