Texans Lose Jayden Higgins for 2026 to ACL Tear After 41-Catch Rookie Season
Updated
Updated · Bleacher Report · Aug 19
Texans Lose Jayden Higgins for 2026 to ACL Tear After 41-Catch Rookie Season
3 articles · Updated · Bleacher Report · Aug 19
Summary
Houston will be without Jayden Higgins for the entire 2026 season after the second-year wide receiver tore his ACL in Tuesday’s joint practice against the Raiders.
Higgins had been lined up for a sizable role in C.J. Stroud’s passing game after posting 41 catches, 525 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie in 2025.
The loss further thins Houston’s receiving depth behind Nico Collins, who has topped 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons.
Tank Dell is still trying to return from major knee injuries that wiped out his 2025 season, while Jaylin Noel is dealing with a hamstring issue, leaving Xavier Hutchinson or sixth-round pick Lewis Bond as possible fill-ins.
For Stroud, whose fifth-year option has already been exercised, the injury removes a key target before a pivotal 2026 season begins.