The Texans got the kind of injury news that can actually calm a room.
Braden Smith, who left Wednesday’s joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on a cart, is dealing with a plantar fascia injury and is expected to miss a few weeks. That’s a lot better than the worst-case scenario that seemed possible in the moment, and it gives Houston some breathing room as Week 1 approaches.
Smith’s situation matters because he was supposed to be the steady answer at right tackle. Houston brought him in during the offseason after eight seasons with Indianapolis, banking on a veteran who has started 105 of 107 career games and signed a two-year deal worth up to $25 million.
The idea was simple: plug in a proven blocker and give C.J. Stroud another reliable piece on an offensive line that has been rebuilt around him.
Now the timing gets tricky. The Texans open the regular season Sept. 13 against the Buffalo Bills, and a recovery that lasts “a few weeks” leaves Smith’s availability in question. There’s no real reason to hurry him back, especially with another veteran already stepping into the conversation.
That veteran is Trent Brown, who has been getting first-team work recently and started at right tackle in Houston’s second preseason game against Las Vegas. The Texans lined up that night with Aireontae Ersery at left tackle, Keylan Rutledge at left guard, Evan Brown at center, Ed Ingram at right guard and Trent Brown on the right edge.
That’s not a throwaway look. It says Brown is very much in the mix, even with Smith in the building.
Brown entered camp as the favorite for the job, and Wednesday’s injury only made the competition more relevant. At 6-foot-8 and 380 pounds, he brings a massive frame, and the 33-year-old has 12 seasons of NFL experience behind him. If he plays well enough to keep the spot warm, Houston doesn’t have to push Smith before he’s ready.
Blake Fisher may be the other name to watch here. The third-year tackle appears to have made real progress in camp, and DeMeco Ryans offered him a strong public nod.
Ryans said Fisher would receive his award for Houston's most improved offensive lineman, pointing to his daily growth, work ethic and the way he’s responded to coaching. Fisher started 10 of 16 games last season and has 15 career starts.
That kind of development matters because roster building isn’t just about the five guys you plan to start. It’s about what happens when one of them goes down. If Fisher has taken a legitimate step forward, Smith’s absence becomes much easier to absorb.
Houston wraps up the preseason Friday against Carolina, though Ryans has already said the starters won’t play. That leaves the final tune-up to Fisher and the rest of the players trying to lock down backup roles before the roster gets cut to 53.
The Texans seem to have dodged the kind of injury that can wreck a month. The next move is just as important: don’t turn a short-term setback into a bigger problem by forcing Smith back too soon. Let Brown hold the right side if he’s earned it, keep Fisher involved, and see where things stand when Buffalo week arrives.
In Other News...
Former Texans Trade Ripple Just Created A New Lions Backfield Concern
When the Lions sent David Montgomery to Houston in exchange for Juice Scruggs and two draft picks, it was the kind of move that immediately changed the look of both backfields. For the Texans, it means bringing in a proven runner who can alter the mix behind their own offensive line picture, while Detroit tried to keep its ground game steady by moving quickly to add Isiah Pacheco on a one-year deal as a possible complement to Jahmyr Gibbs.
Pachecos arrival was supposed to give Detroit insurance, but the early concern is whether hell even be ready for the opener after dealing with a sprained MCL and a back injury. With Montgomery now gone and Pachecos availability uncertain, the Lions have created a situation where the backfield depth chart is less settled than it looked a short time ago, and the ripple from that Houston trade may end up being felt well beyond draft-pick value. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Just Learned How Little The Patriots Valued Kayshon Boutte
Kayshon Bouttes move to Houston now looks even more revealing than it did when the deal was made. The Patriots sent the wide receiver to the Texans during the offseason, and Mike Vrabel has since made clear that New Englands plans for him had already cooled considerably. Even with Boutte having shown he could contribute on offense, the fit in New England had become narrow enough that his role was shrinking before he ever had a chance to settle into the next season.
Vrabel said Boutte would have been a healthy inactive on game days because of his limited special teams value, which is usually the kind of detail that tells the real story behind an offseason trade. For Houston, its a useful reminder that the Texans did not just add a receiver with previous production, they also picked up a player the Patriots had essentially decided would not be part of their 2026 plans. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Roster Bubble Just Got Tougher After One Shaky Position Battle
The Texans closed the preseason with a 16-13 loss to the Panthers, but the scoreboard was only part of the evaluation in a night packed with roster-bubble auditions. Josh Kelly led the receivers, linebacker Fisher piled up 12 tackles, Sebastian Harsh delivered the teams lone sack and George Odum came away with an interception, giving Houston plenty to sort through as it trims the roster and weighs the depth chart.
The most difficult conversation may be at quarterback, where the backups produced a mixed showing and the new QB3 did enough to look a little better than before without fully settling the debate. For a team still finalizing the bottom of the roster, that kind of uneven performance can matter just as much as the headline plays, because one shaky position battle can ripple into how the Texans choose to keep, move or cut talent elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]