Jayden Higgins was supposed to be part of the Houston Texans’ push in 2026. Instead, his season is gone before it ever got started.
The Texans wide receiver suffered a knee injury during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders, and the early confusion around the scene only made the wait harder. Medical staff rolled out a motorized cart to help him off, but Higgins eventually got back up and walked away under his own power. For a moment, that seemed to leave room for optimism.
That hope disappeared on Wednesday, when NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Higgins tore his ACL. Medical evaluations later confirmed the ligament injury, and it will keep him out for the entire upcoming season.
It’s a brutal setback for a Houston passing game that was counting on a bigger year from the young receiver. Higgins was expected to be a key piece in 2026, and now the Texans have to scramble for answers in a hurry.
The timing makes it sting even more for C.J. Stroud, who is trying to bounce back after what the source described as terrible play in 2025. With Higgins out, the pressure on the rest of the offense only grows.
Houston already lost QB Graham Mertz to a torn ACL, and that adds another layer to the damage. The team will now have to lean more heavily on veteran receivers, and the list of available free-agent options includes Tyreek Hill, Tyler Lockett, and DeAndre Hopkins.
Higgins’ rookie year gave Houston a glimpse of what he could become. In 2025, he caught 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns. Now the Texans have to move forward without him for all of 2026.
In Other News...
Raiders Just Gave Fernando Mendoza A Test That Could Change Things
Fernando Mendoza got a look many rookies wait a while to earn, taking snaps with the Raiders first-team offense during a joint practice against the Texans. The setting mattered too, because the session was described as mostly upbeat and controlled, with only a few brief scuffles breaking up what was otherwise a clean day of work for both sides.
For a young quarterback trying to establish where he fits, those kinds of reps can mean more than a normal practice script. Klint Kubiak framed the opportunity as part of a planned evaluation, and he made clear the staff still wants to go back through the tape before drawing any firm conclusions, which leaves this as a useful checkpoint rather than a finished verdict. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Quarterback Plan Suddenly Feels Less Settled Than Expected
The Raiders entered camp with a first-round quarterback in Fernando Mendoza and a clear sense of patience from the front office, but the situation is not quite as fixed as it first appeared. General manager John Spytek has been open about taking a measured approach with the rookie, stressing that the team is willing to let the process play out rather than forcing a timeline before the picture comes into focus.
Spytek also hinted that the decision-making is not happening in a vacuum, which is where the intrigue starts to build for Las Vegas. How Mendoza performs in practice, and how the Raiders are faring once the season gets rolling, could leave the club with more flexibility than a simple preseason plan suggests. For a team trying to balance development with the pressure to win now, that kind of openness can be useful, but it also leaves the quarterback conversation far from settled. [Read more 🡒]