Houston Texans second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins suffered a torn ACL during Tuesday’s joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders. Higgins will reportedly miss the entire upcoming 2026 season.
Jayden Higgins’ Injury Is a Huge Blow for the Texans
The Texans, due to their defense, are considered Super Bowl contenders, and losing a player like Higgins is a devastating blow for a team that already lacked talent on offense.
The NFL world on social media knew the significant impact that Higgins’ injury could have on the Texans, and here’s how they reacted:
NFL analyst Marcus Mosher summarized the loss to the Texans’ offense by writing, “That is a massive injury for Houston. Woof.”
That is a massive injury for Houston. Woof. https://t.co/JJPxb863O9
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) August 19, 2026
YouTuber Josh Norris evaluated the Texans’ options after Higgins’ injury. He said, “Damn. Was really looking forward to his year two. Jaylin Noel, primary slot, has missed a ton of camp too. Tank Dell… can you be a superhuman?”
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Dell himself is coming off significant injuries and didn’t play last season. With Higgins out, the pressure will be on him to complement star wideout Nico Collins.
damn. was really looking forward to his year two
Jaylin Noel, primary slot, has missed a ton of camp too Tank Dell… can you be a superhuman? https://t.co/pUEPqfNYbS — Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) August 19, 2026
Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky also reacted to Higgins’ injury and wrote, “Young man really came on last season. Significant loss.”
Young man really came on last season. Significant loss https://t.co/qZdWgbr7Pg
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) August 19, 2026
ESPN’s Sam Block sympathized with the promising Higgins.
“So brutal. Such a young, talented player,” Block wrote.
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John Crumpler cursed the timing of Higgins’ injury with most of the veteran free agents off the market.
“Ugh. Awful injury and dreadful timing with the veteran receivers now being off the market. All eyes to Tank Dell and Jaylin Noel, hopefully Higgins has a smooth recovery for next season,” Crumpler posted.
Bryce DeGroat saw Higgins’ injury as an opportunity for Tank Dell to become an important cog in the Texans’ offense.
“This is setting up Tank Dell to have the best comeback story of all time,” DeGroat opined.
This is setting up Tank Dell to have the best comeback story of all time https://t.co/UmJwr3MTZG
— Bryce DeGroat (@NFL_Convo) August 19, 2026
Higgins played for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Iowa State Cyclones in college before being selected No. 34 overall by the Texans in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The former Cyclones wide receiver had an important role in the Texans’ offense after Dell missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL, MCL, and LCL sustained in December 2024. According to NFL.com, Higgins’ target share rose by 8.1% during the Texans’ nine-game winning streak last year.
Higgins tallied 525 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns on 41 receptions for the Texans last season, earning a PFN Wide Receiver Impact score of 72.0 (No. 52 in the NFL).
After his devastating injury in 2024, Dell is being carefully managed during the Texans’ training camp. The former 2023 third-round pick managed a respectable 1,376 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 98 receptions in his first two NFL seasons.
Alongside Dell, former Iowa State wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson could also step into the void left by Higgins’ injury.
