The Houston Texans saw their offensive line suffer a noteworthy injury in the form of right tackle Braden Smith going down with a reported foot injury in Wednesday's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers , and will be set to miss a few weeks because of it.
It's an injury that does tend to shake up the look of this Texans' offensive front. Smith, who signed to Houston on a two-year, $20 million deal earlier this offseason as a potential starter on the offensive line, could now be sidelined to start Week 1 of the regular season.
And while the loss will sting for the Texans and the hopes of what their offensive line could look like to start the season, Smith's absence will inevitably boost the stock of not one, but two players for the extent that he'll be out, and especially in the days ahead of roster cuts taking place this weekend.
Here's who to keep an eye on around the Texans roster now that we know Smith is in to miss some time:
Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Trent Brown (77) and teammates enters the field out of the tunnel before the Texans play the Las Vegas Raiders at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The name in the Texans' offensive line room who will immediately be getting more attention now that Braden Smith is injured is veteran tackle Trent Brown, who now becomes the easy favorite to plug in as Houston's starting right tackle against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.
And there's a chance that, if Smith were healthy, that Brown would have a chance to claim those starting duties anyways. The two have been battling to be named a starter at the position throughout the offseason leading up to training camp, and it's a job that Brown hasn't been giving up too easily .
Brown was the starter on the right side of the Texans' line for eight regular-season games last year, where Houston went a perfect 8-0. If he's healthy and performing well as he did throughout 2025, perhaps the offense could be fine rolling with their same right tackle as last year as opposed to filling in someone new like Smith.
For now, Brown will be the guy Houston turns to until Smith is healthy. And if Brown plays well in the games that Smith is out for, there's a good chance he might not give that starting gig up.
Jul 30, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans tackle Blake Fisher (57) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
2024 second-round pick Blake Fisher is another name to keep watch of now that we know that Smith is going to miss some time. Because if Smith is someone who's placed on injured reserve for the first few weeks of the season, a window of opportunity swings wide open for someone in his position.
Fisher is, by most accounts, the OT4 on the Texans' depth chart when everyone in the room is healthy. Depending on how roster cuts transpire for Houston, it puts Fisher in a spot where he could be at risk of being expendable, despite having a productive offseason and training camp .
But now, the Texans need that offensive tackle depth that Fisher would provide. He can slide up to be a backup swing tackle for Ersery and Brown for the extent that Smith is on the sidelines, and potentially hang onto a 53-man roster spot with a handful of regular-season showings under his belt.
After starting camp potentially on the outside of the roster bubble looking in, Fisher might now have a good chance of not only making the 53-man cut, but getting some snaps early in the season in jumbo packages or as a rotational depth piece who can line up on either side of the line.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/texans/onsi as Two Texans Players With Soaring Stock After Braden Smith's Injury .
