The Texans are making the trip to London with a short-handed roster and a tough assignment waiting on the other side. Houston will be without Tank Dell, David Montgomery and Jalen Pitre for Sunday’s Week 6 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium, three absences that hit both sides of the ball.
Dell’s status is the most eye-catching because he had been in position to potentially make his 2026 debut. After opening the season on injured reserve, the wide receiver returned to practice and was a full participant Wednesday, but he still won’t travel with the team. He has yet to appear in a game this year, though his value to Houston’s passing game has never really been in question.
Montgomery’s absence leaves another hole. The veteran running back is dealing with a groin injury that has been described as week-to-week, and NBC Sports reported that Woody Marks is now at the top of the Texans’ backfield depth chart. With Montgomery out, Houston loses a proven piece and has to lean more heavily on Marks against a Jacksonville defense that will know that.
Pitre’s injury is just as painful in a different way. The safety has been one of Houston’s most important defenders, and a shoulder issue now forces the Texans to replace him against a Jaguars offense that has multiple ways to stress a secondary.
The official NFL injury report showed Montgomery and Pitre did not practice, while Dell was listed as a full participant before being ruled out.
Jacksonville comes into the matchup with plenty of momentum and a 4-1 record, while the Texans are sitting at 1-4. That gap makes Sunday feel even steeper for Houston, especially with the Jaguars fresh off a dramatic London win over Philadelphia last week.
Trevor Lawrence will have several targets to work with in the passing game. Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. have all been productive early, and Washington in particular has taken on a key role.
He entered the week leading Jacksonville with 16 receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns. Meyers had 13 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns through four games, while Thomas had nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown over that span.
That group adds another layer of difficulty for Houston, especially without Pitre available to steady the back end. The Jaguars also just put up 331 passing yards and two touchdowns in their 19-17 win over Philadelphia in London, so the Texans are walking into a game where the opponent already looks comfortable in the setting.
Houston, meanwhile, has to adjust on the fly while crossing the Atlantic for a crucial AFC South matchup.
In Other News...
Jaguars Trade Talk Around A Core Piece Says A Lot Right Now
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Jaguars are getting a familiar kind of attention around a roster that still has a few pieces other teams would love to pry loose. Brian Thomas Jr. sits at the center of that conversation as a deep-threat receiver who changes how defenses line up, while Arik Armstead remains one of the more important voices and bodies on a defense that has needed it. Patrick Mekari also hangs in the mix as a veteran offensive lineman whose value is easy to see, especially with injuries testing the front.
What makes the discussion interesting is not just who could draw calls, but what it says about where Jacksonville thinks it stands right now. Teams do not start weighing moves like this unless they believe certain players can help shape the long view, and the Jaguars have to balance that against being competitive in the moment. Even if Armstead feels unlikely to go and Mekari's appeal is tied to need up front, the fact that Thomas is even part of the conversation shows how thin the line can be between building around a core piece and listening when the phone rings. [Read more 🡒]
Chiefs Still Have One Trade Need As Deadline Pressure Builds
The Chiefs have opened the season in strong shape, but the injury hit at wide receiver has kept one need hanging over their roster as the trade deadline approaches. Kansas City is being linked to Jacksonvilles Brian Thomas Jr. as a possible answer, a name that makes sense on paper because of the upside he would bring and the urgency the Chiefs feel to add help on the perimeter.
For Jacksonville, the idea would be hard to justify unless the offer became impossible to ignore. Thomas has not been as productive as expected, but the Jaguars are not showing much interest in moving him, even with Kansas Citys need growing and a second-round pick floated as the kind of return that could get talks moving. The closer the deadline gets, the more this becomes the sort of rumor that says as much about the Chiefs problem as it does about the Jaguars plans. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Brutal Week 6 Protection Question Against Houston
A shifting offensive line is now part of the Jaguars Week 6 picture, with Liam Coen confirming that Walker Little will step in at left tackle while Anton Harrison is set for knee surgery. It is the kind of adjustment that can change the feel of a game plan in a hurry, especially for an offense trying to keep its footing against a division opponent with real talent on the other side of the ball.
Houston, meanwhile, keeps working through its own personnel wrinkles. The Texans added Marvin Harrison Jr. in a move that reunites him with C.J. Stroud, while defensive back Jalen Pitre is dealing with an AC joint sprain and is considered week-to-week. Tank Dell is also moving closer to a return from injured reserve, which only adds another layer to a matchup that already has enough moving parts for both sidelines to monitor closely. [Read more 🡒]