It looks like the Houston Texans will be without some depth in their secondary for at least the next four weeks.
That's because second-year cornerback Jaylin Smith has been placed on injured reserve.
According to KPRC2 's Aaron Wilson, Smith is reportedly dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring injury that'll effectively sideline him for multiple weeks, thus leading to the Texans placing him on injured reserve.
Smith had been receiving secondary opinions on the hamstring injury he had suffered this past week against the Dallas Cowboys. However, it won't prevent him from missing a bit of time in the Texans' lineup, which is seemingly becoming a bit of a trend for the young second-year corner.
With the newest absence now forcing Smith out of the mix for the next few weeks, this now marks the third time that the Texans have been forced to place him on injured reserve throughout his young career.
Smith has played in eight of his 23 available games between the regular season and playoffs with the Texans thus far, and will be slated to miss the next four, at the very least.
Smith was sidelined for four games just two weeks into the 2025 season with a similar hamstring injury before returning in Week 8 against the San Francisco 49ers . Just one game later, though, Smith would suffer a torn meniscus against the Denver Broncos to sit him out for the remainder of the year.
Wilson reporting that there is optimism for Smith's eventual return to the lineup is certainly encouraging that he won't be missing the entire season. Once those four weeks on injured reserve are up after Week 9 against the LA Chargers, then perhaps the team can re-evaluate.te.
However, seeing that this is now the third instance of Smith missing extended time, you can't help but be a little bit concerned about what his future looks like as a valuable piece in Houston.
Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith (22) runs onto the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Smith was brought in just a little over a year ago with a day two pick in the 2025 NFL Draft with hopes of being a valuable future asset in the secondary, largely because of his versatility and prowess in man-coverage.
Yet, nearly a season and a half into his career, Smith hasn't really had a chance to show off the appealing skills Houston initially brought him in for.
And for the next few weeks, it'll be the same case.
Smith has only recorded 38 defensive snaps through the eight games he's been active in thus far, with only seven of those coming this season. Instead, he's been a primary part of Houston's special teams game, as he's been on the field for 65% of their special teams snaps this season.
Since he arrived last spring, the Texans have liked what Smith brought to the table as a future CB3 behind Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter . However, without being able to stay consistently healthy, now approaching his third IR designation in a little over 20 games, it hurts his chances of being able to cling onto a bigger role in the secondary--both in the short and long term.
For the stretch that Smith is forced out of the mix, however long that may be, we can expect for Tremon Smith to claim those CB3 duties, and the primary backup to fill in on the boundary behind Stingley and Lassiter.
For the stretch that Jaylin Smith was out over the course of his rookie season, it was now-nine-year veteran Tremon Smith who stepped up to the occasion for his role and played relatively well throughout the season too.
Over the course of his 2025 campaign, Smith recorded 23 total tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble while also being available in all 17 games.
So considering the team was in this same spot last year, expect the Texans to lean on Tremon Smith a bit more while shorthanded in their cornerback room, both as a depth piece in their secondary and a contributor on special teams.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as Texans Should Be Concerned About Latest Injury to CB Jaylin Smith .
