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The Houston Texans built their receiving room this offseason around a promising core meant to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud, and second-year wideout Jayden Higgins was supposed to be a big part of that plan. That plan changed fast this week. Coach DeMeco Ryans did not try to downplay how much the shift stings. Higgins had been developing into a reliable target alongside Nico Collins for Stroud, and camp reports pointed to a breakout season for the young receiver. Houston now has to fill that void before the regular season even starts, and the front office wasted little time responding. Jayden Higgins is out for the season NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo delivered the update Friday, detailing Houston’s response to the injury. “The Texans are signing veteran WRs Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones,” he wrote. “Both impressed in a workout today and join the mix in Houston after the loss of Jayden Higgins to a torn ACL.” Higgins tore his ACL during a joint practice with the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, an injury confirmed by ESPN after he was evaluated on the field and later underwent further testing at the team facility. The 2025 second-round pick had emerged as a key complement to Collins before the setback and was seen as a big part of Houston’s plans for the passing game. As a rookie, Higgins caught 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns, numbers that made him a projected No. 2 option opposite Collins for Stroud this season. He added nine catches for 98 yards across two playoff games, underscoring how much Houston is losing at a position that was already thin behind its top target. Ryans did not soften his message when addressing the loss. “It hurt,” Ryans said. He called Higgins one of the best players on the field during camp and described the injury as a significant void the coaching staff now has to fill before Week 1. Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones bring veteran depth to Houston Shepard, 33, enters his 11th season after two years with the Buccaneers and eight with the Giants, who made him a second-round pick in 2016. Jones, 31, is entering his 10th season and has played for four teams, including a productive stretch with the Jaguars. Higgins, by contrast, arrived in Houston as a record-setting second-round selection just last year. Houston’s passing game still runs through Stroud, who has set franchise passing records in the past and remains the centerpiece of the offense heading into 2026. The Texans also explored trade calls for players like the Patriots’ Kayshon Boutte and the Ravens’ Rashod Bateman before settling on the two free agents. Shepard and Jones will compete for roster spots in the coming weeks, with Houston’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers still on the schedule. How much either veteran factors into the offense will become clearer once final roster cuts take shape ahead of the season opener. More NFL News - Houston Texans Starting Lineup Projections: Will CJ Stroud Avoid Sophomore Slump In 2024? - Steelers And Texans Players Unite In Powerful Prayer Led By CJ Stroud Thanking Jesus Christ After Intense Playoff Clash - Breaking: Raiders Kirk Cousins Suspended From Practice – What We Know - LOOK: Kirk Cousins Moves Past Maxx Crosby Clash With Wife Julie For ‘Backstreet Boys’ Night