The Houston Texans saw two of their players go down with an injury in Wednesday's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers : right tackle Braden Smith , as well as defensive end Ali Gaye .
The Texans saw both Smith and Gaye go down with their respective injuries at relatively the same times on two different fields of practice. Smith was down on the ground on field one, Gaye went down on the second, and both would subsequently be carted off after the first play of practice.
According to KPRC2 's Aaron Wilson, it was a leg injury for both Smith and Gaye, who each couldn't put any weight on their leg following the injury.
It's not often you see two players for the same team go down with an injury, and a potentially severe injury, in practice on different plays. But that seems like it could be the case here for the Texans, and could be two notable absences, if either Smith or Gaye are forced to miss any time.
While we don't know the exact extent of either player's issue just yet, let's break down what to make of both injuries with an immediate reaction:
Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Braden Smith (71) during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Smith is entering his first year with the Texans after entering the mix as one of the bigger additions to the roster this offseason.
Houston signed Smith from the Indianapolis Colts on a two-year, $20 million deal , and did so with the intention of filling him in as their potential new starting right tackle, who's experienced and a strong run blocker on their new-look offensive line.
But Smith has dealt with some availability issues in recent years . He has played 13 or fewer games in each season since 2023, and might now be dealing with a new injury issue that restricts his availability less than three weeks away from Week 1.
If Smith is slated to miss any time, it means that veteran Trent Brown would be the most likely candidate to fill in as the Texans' starting right tackle. Brown is the one Smith has been competing with to be the starter throughout the past few weeks, and now could have a clear path to start the year, depending on what the diagnosis is for their offseason newcomer.
Jun 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Ali Gaye arrives for the team's minicamp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
One of the more recent concerns on the Texans' defense throughout recent days has been the health of their defensive line depth. Jadeveon Clowney , Dominique Robinson , and Dylan Horton have all gone down with injuries in either practice or in their recent preseason game with the Las Vegas Raiders .
Now, Gaye's leg injury adds to the list of names within the Texans' defensive end room that may be in to miss some time in the days ahead, depending on how severe his injury is.
Gaye was claimed by the Texans from the Tennessee Titans via waivers earlier this offseason and has been competing for a 53-man roster spot as a depth piece on Houston's defensive line since his arrival in May.
Gaye has played 18 games throughout his NFL career, collecting nine total tackles, three TFLs and one sack through two years and nearly 300 snaps with the Titans.
Without Gaye, that means this Texans defensive end room would be one player shorter, and then be left down to the likes of Solomon Byrd , Sabastian Harsh, and newly-signed Derek Parish to be their primary depth options in game three of their preseason against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as Texans OT Braden Smith, Another Defender Carted Off at Practice .
