Texans bolster WR room with pair of veteran signings
· Yahoo Sports
Replacing Jayden Higgins is going to take a community effort.
The Houston Texanslost the second-year receiver to a torn ACL during a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 18, an injury that ends his season before it started. Feeling a little light in the receiver room, the Texans knew that some reinforcements would be required.
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On Aug. 21, they made a pair of veteran additions in the form of Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones, according to multiple reports.
The team also worked out Josh Reynolds alongside the other two receivers, but the roster spots are going to Shepard and Jones for the time being. Both veterans will now be tasked with doing enough to earn a roster spot, even if time is running short on the preseason.
Houston has just one game left before the big roster cuts take place, meaning Shepard and Jones will have to make an impact in practice to earn a spot on the 53.
Here's a look at the group of receivers on the Texans roster and where the two new signings might fit on the depth chart.
Texans WR depth chart
- Nico Collins
- Xavier Hutchinson
- Tank Dell
- Jaylin Noel
- Justin Watson
- Sterling Shepard
- Zay Jones
This group of receivers has plenty of question marks and that even includes Collins to an extent. Houston's WR1 has missed at least two games every season since entering the league in 2021. Various injuries have held Collins back, even if he can be penciled in for 1,000 yards whether he misses time or not.
It's crucial for him to remain healthy for the Texans to have any chance at reaching their ceiling in 2026. Behind him, Dell is working his way back from a significant knee injury suffered in 2024 that also cost him all of 2025.
Hutchinson and Noel will likely take on larger roles without Higgins, while Watson, Shepard and Jones factor in as depth pieces if any of the young guys fail to take advantage of the opportunity.
Further down the depth chart, Houston still has receiver options in Jared Wayne, Josh Kelly, Lewis Bond and others.
Given that there are only 53 spots on the roster available, the Texans' receiver room is going to be a numbers game. They can't keep everyone, which leaves Shepard and Jones particularly in a state of flux. They present as quality veterans, but it remains to be seen if the Texans would be better off moving forward with their in-house options for the time being.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texans bolster WR room with pair of veteran signings