Monday delivered a gut punch: defensive end Dylan Horton suffered a potentially season-ending Achilles tear. By Wednesday, the Texans were calling for carts again, this time during a joint practice with the Panthers. Late August has turned brutal in Houston, and the timing could hardly be worse.
Offensive tackle Braden Smith and defensive lineman Ali Gaye both left practice on a single cart after suffering injuries in quick succession. That image isn’t just a preseason footnote. It’s another warning flare for a Texans roster already reeling from a fresh loss on the defensive edge.
No official word has emerged on the nature or severity of Smith’s or Gaye’s injuries. Houston, then, faces a familiar problem: key competitions at right tackle and on the defensive front have been disrupted at the worst possible moment.
Braden Smith’s right tackle battle suddenly carries more weight
Smith arrived in Houston as a free agent this offseason after starting 105 games for the Colts over eight years. That’s not a camp body or a low-stakes depth signing. He’s listed as a possible starter at right tackle alongside Trent Brown, so Wednesday’s cart trip casts immediate doubt on one of the Texans’ most consequential lineup decisions.
Houston didn’t bring Smith in to watch a right tackle competition from the sideline. His experience gives the Texans a proven starting option, and 105 starts is a substantial résumé. When a player with that background needs a cart to leave practice, concern is the only reasonable reaction.
Brown remains the other candidate at right tackle, but Smith’s injury changes the entire dynamic of that competition, regardless of what any eventual medical update reveals. Houston’s offensive line decision was already critical. Now, the margin for error has shrunk to almost nothing.
No one has confirmed that Smith will miss time. But dismissing the incident because it happened in practice would be a mistake. The Texans have already seen how quickly a camp injury can scramble the depth chart.
Houston’s defensive-front attrition is becoming impossible to ignore
Gaye, claimed off waivers from the Titans in May, is fighting for a reserve role on the defensive front. That might seem like a minor concern compared to Smith’s starting credentials, but Houston’s week tells a different story. Reserve defenders become essential when injuries pile up.
Horton, 26, reportedly tore his Achilles during Monday’s practice, a blow that could end his 2026 season. He played 16 games last year, notching his first half-sack and setting career highs with 26 tackles and four quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus tracked his pressure rate jumping from 5.0 percent in 2024 to 10.8 percent in 2025.
| Texans defensive-front development | Timing | Reported impact |
|---|---|---|
| Dylan Horton torn Achilles | Monday practice | Potentially ends 2026 season |
| Ali Gaye carted off | Wednesday joint practice | Injury severity not identified |
| Jadeveon Clowney leg injury | Current | Described as minor |
| Dominique Robinson leg injury | Current | Described as minor |
Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are the primary pass rushers, but Horton’s injury already forces Houston to lean harder on the rest of the defensive ends. Jadeveon Clowney and Dominique Robinson are next up, though both are reportedly dealing with minor leg injuries. With Gaye now sidelined as well, the Texans’ defensive-front depth chart is starting to resemble a triage unit.
Horton’s journey makes his loss sting even more. Drafted in the fourth round out of TCU in 2023, he played only 10 games as a rookie after a Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis, then entered remission by the following spring. He missed the start of the 2024 season while finishing his recovery, returned in October, and played the final 13 regular-season games.
A late-August Achilles tear almost always ends a season, though recovery timelines have improved. An immediate move to injured reserve would sideline Horton for the year. If the Texans designate him with a return option during Sunday’s roster cuts, there’s a glimmer of hope for a late-season comeback. Smith, meanwhile, remains listed as a possible starter at right tackle with Trent Brown.
