Overview
- Second-year receiver Jayden Higgins suffered a non-contact knee injury during a joint practice with the Raiders and was diagnosed with a torn ACL that put him on season-ending injured reserve.
- Head coach DeMeco Ryans called the loss "significant" and said Higgins had been one of the team's best players in camp, removing a planned No. 2 target for quarterback C.J. Stroud.
- The Texans signed veterans Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones to short-term deals after both worked out for the team, and they also placed linebacker K.C. Ossai on the reserve/injured list.
- Houston made exploratory trade calls about receivers Kayshon Boutte and Rashod Bateman, with reporting noting Bateman is unlikely to be moved because of his contract while Boutte could be a feasible short-term rental.
- With Tank Dell still recovering and Jaylin Noel limited by a hamstring issue, the receiving room remains thin and the front office faces pressure to add or cut players before the late‑August 53-man roster deadline.