The Houston Texans have lost one of their most important weapons for the 2026 season.

On Wednesday, second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins was revealed to have torn his ACL during joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders the previous day. He had landed awkwardly while trying to catch a pass during red-zone drills, then was spotted limping off the field.

Reaction to the development was rife:

Higgins was stellar in his NFL debut, catching 41 of 68 targets for 525 yards and six touchdowns. In June, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer had mentioned him as a potential breakout star after OTAs:

“Higgins certainly has looked that part in the spring. His frame is nearly identical to Nico Collins’, and while Collins is the physically stronger player, Higgins is a smoother, looser athlete than the Texans’ incumbent No. 1 — one staffer illustrated it as having a power forward (Collins) and small forward (Higgins) at the position.”

With him gone, the Texans find themselves needing a new no. 2 beside Nico Collins.

Xavier Hutchinson looks like the leading in-house candidate after posting career highs of 35 receptions for 428 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. 2023 batchmate Tank Dell is looking to return from a devastating knee injury that sidelined him for nearly the past two seasons, while Jaylin Noel, another 2025 draftee, has been battling multiple injuries throughout training camp.

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Former Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins posts cryptic message in aftermath of Jayden Higgins’ season-ending ACL tear

Losing Jayden Higgins for the 2026 season is definitely a major blow for the Texans, especially as they look to reclaim the AFC South. However, a familiar face has offered his services to help the team: DeAndre Hopkins.

Also on Wednesday, sometime after the nature of Higgins’ injury was revealed, the veteran wideout took to Instagram Stories to post this old image of himself greeting his mother:

Hopkins spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Texans, evolving into one of the league’s top wide receivers. With them, he was a four-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler, led the league in receiving touchdowns in 2017, and set the franchise single-season receptions record in 2018.

He was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 and lasted three seasons there, making another All-Pro and Pro Bowl. After being released in May 2023, he bounced around three teams before becoming Georgia Tech’s WRs coach at the end of last month, though he has insisted that he is not retired.