The Houston Texans will enter Sunday’s Week 1 meeting with the Buffalo Bills without six players on their active roster, and the list doesn’t carry any real shocks.
Houston’s inactive group includes tight end Brevin Jordan, cornerback Collin Wright, linebacker Aiden Fisher, guard Febechi Nwaiwu, offensive tackle Nate Thomas and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy.
Buffalo’s inactive list also came in cleanly: wide receiver Skyler Bell, running back Ty Johnson, safety Jalon Kilgore, linebacker Mike Danna, guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams, offensive tackle Jude Bowry and defensive lineman TJ Sanders.
For the Texans, three of the six inactive players are first-year guys. Fisher and Nwaiwu were day three draft picks, while Wright, an undrafted cornerback, has earned a spot on the 53-man roster but will have to wait for his official NFL debut.
Houston will still have one undrafted rookie available on game day in defensive end Sabastian Harsh. He’s made noise since arriving earlier this offseason and now gives the Texans another depth option behind Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter on a loaded defensive line.
Jordan’s absence is another notable one. The Texans cut him and then brought him back onto the 53-man roster before Week 1, a clear sign they still have plans for him later in the season. He has been working back from a knee injury over the past couple of weeks, which may be keeping him from returning to the field for the first time since 2024.
Even without Jordan, Houston has four tight ends ready to go against Buffalo: Dalton Schultz, Marlin Klein, Foster Moreau and Cade Stover.
The other two Texans on the inactive list are both recent additions. Thomas was acquired in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys on cutdown day, while Crumedy joined the 53-man roster after Kayden McDonald was placed on IR.
Both could be in the mix in the coming weeks, depending on how Houston views its depth up front, but for Sunday they’ll stay on the sideline as the opener arrives.
The Texans and Bills are set to kick off at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday at Reliant Stadium, bringing an end to an eight-month offseason wait.
In Other News...
Texans Leave Week 1 With A Defensive Problem They Can't Ignore
The Texans opened their 25th anniversary season with the kind of game that can energize a crowd and unsettle a coaching staff at the same time. Houston and Buffalo traded momentum in a back-and-forth matchup, but Josh Allen kept finding answers, finishing with four touchdowns as the Bills edged out a 36-31 win in a game that felt like a showcase for both offenses and a warning sign for the Texans.
For Houston, the bigger concern is what happened after the fireworks. The Texans were in position to keep the pressure on late, but C.J. Stroud was stripped by Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau in a key fourth-quarter sequence, and Allens ability to punish the Texans both through the air and on the ground made it hard to settle the game down. After a season opener built on big plays and lead changes, Houston leaves Week 1 knowing its defense has a problem it has to answer quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Defensive Line Takes An Early Hit Before Week 1
The Texans have taken an early hit on the defensive front before Week 1, placing rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald on injured reserve after an ankle injury. The second-round pick out of Ohio State was brought in to help strengthen Houstons interior line and was expected to have a role in the defensive tackle rotation because of his run-stopping ability.
McDonald will now miss at least the first four games of the season, a setback for a player the Texans had penciled in as part of their early defensive plans. The injury is not season-ending, and Houston does have depth at the position to absorb the absence, but it still removes one of the teams most intriguing young additions from the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Backfield Uncertainty Could Change Texans Week 1 Matchup
A little late-week uncertainty has crept into Buffalos backfield as the Bills sort through Ty Johnsons availability ahead of their Week 1 meeting with the Texans. Johnson is still questionable after an injury, and head coach Joe Brady said the final decision on his status will come closer to game time, leaving Buffalo to weigh its options as it prepares for Houston.
Frank Gore Jr. could be the next man up if the Bills need another running back on the active roster. The practice squad back has limited NFL experience, but his potential elevation would give Buffalo some added depth for a matchup in which every healthy body matters, and it would also give the Texans one more offensive wrinkle to account for in the opener. [Read more 🡒]