Overview
- Two Houston Texans — offensive tackle Braden Smith and defensive end Ali Gaye — were carted off nearly simultaneously during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte.
- Reporters said both players could not put weight on their legs when they were removed, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Texans believe Smith suffered a foot injury.
- Texans coach DeMeco Ryans gave no update after practice, leaving the team to await formal medical exams and imaging to confirm diagnoses and timelines.
- Smith was a recent two-year free-agent signing expected to challenge Trent Brown for the starting right-tackle job, so the injury heightens immediate depth concerns for protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud.
- The injury compounds other recent roster setbacks, including Jayden Higgins’s ACL tear, and raises near-term questions about roster moves, game-day depth and who will handle right-tackle reps if Smith misses time.