The Houston Texans will be without one of their top wide receivers for the entire 2026 season.
According to multiple sources, Texans second-year wide receiver Jayden Higgins tore his ACL during Tuesday's joint practice against the Las Vegas Raiders , and will now be set to miss the rest of the season.
It's a huge loss for the Texans' receiver room, especially when factoring in the type of role that Higgins was expected to have in Houston's offense for the 2026 season.
Higgins, after a productive rookie season, was expected to emerge as the second-leading receiver in this Texans wide receiver room . He's had a strong offseason, and signs were trending up for a big year ahead.
But now, without Higgins, Houston has to pivot to another pass-catcher to handle his snaps and expected targets as the second-leading receiver in the room.
And of anyone in the Texans' wide receiver unit that could take advantage of those opportunities, Xavier Hutchinson, who enters his fourth season in Houston. feels like the one primed for that leap.
In a Texans' passing offense without Jayden Higgins, Nico Collins is going to be due for his share and retain his No. 1 status in the wide receiver room no matter what. Tight end Dalton Schultz might just be due for the second-most, or the most targets of any pass-catcher in Houston for the season.
But that second wide receiver spot feels destined to fall within Hutchinson's hands; a pass-catcher that who can line up on the outside, be a complement to Nico Collins, move the ball downfield, and be able to play 50-60% of the offensive snaps.
Last season, Hutchinson was sharper than ever when opportunities came his way, and really might've proved that due to finding more reps once again in 2026.
Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson (19) runs with the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For 2025, in a year where the Texans' passing offense was without Tank Dell, Hutchinson put together a career year where he saw the most receptions (35), targets (57), yards (428), touchdowns (3), and total snaps (672/58%) than he's ever had in a single season throughout his career.
He has the skillset and size at 6-foot-3, 210 pounds to line up on the outside, and has seen his numbers increase every single season. He's been in Houston every single season that Stroud has , and has built up a ton of chemistry with his signal-caller as a result.
And when compared to some of the other wide receivers on the Texans' roster who could assume those second-hand duties on the outside that Higgins would otherwise claim, Hutchinson has a clear edge over all of them.
Jaylin Noel will be set for more work, but he's better suited for a slot role rather than lining up on the outside. So is sixth-round rookie Lewis Bond, and he's further down the depth chart than Noel and Hutchinson.
Tank Dell certainly could be on the outside, and he might be the Texans' No. 2 wideout by the end of the year. But he's still working his way back from his own injury issues. As to how long it takes before he's back on a full snap count remains to be seen. And until then, Hutchinson might be ahead of him.
So the door is wide open for Hutchinson to take flight. And individually, this year has even more stakes in play for him.
It's a contract year. He's in the final season of his rookie contract signed in 2023 he'll be hitting free agency next March without any extension. That means this next season will be more important than ever for Hutchinson to capitalize on so he can find his desired payday.
Hutchinson could have the makings of an even better season than what he just did in 2025 right in front of him. Whether he puts the pieces together to do so is to be determined. At the very least, though, his stock, since the start of training camp, is most definitely on the rise.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as One Texans WR Poised for Bigger Role After Jayden Higgins ACL Injury .
