The Houston Texans’ September 13 matchup against the Buffalo Bills brought double trouble for DeMeco Ryans’ squad. First, they went home with a 31-36 loss. Second, defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. was fined for a low hit on Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
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According to the NFL’s 2026 Regular Season Week 1 Accountability report, Edwards was fined for ‘Contact in the knee area or below a passer.’ The fine he will now have to pay is $8,263.
The Bills were at Houston’s 42-yard line with 7:22 left in the third quarter and leading 24-21 when Allen took a shot down the middle for DJ Moore. The pass fell incomplete, but while releasing the ball, Allen was brought down by a low hit by Texans defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr.
Edwards Jr. was called for roughing the passer, giving the Bills 15 yards and moving them to the Houston 27. Buffalo could only manage a 34-yard field goal from Tyler Bass on the ensuing drive. The penalty, however, was not the end of the matter for Edwards, with the NFL’s disciplinary decision following days later.
In December, 2025, he suffered a ruptured pectoral muscle during the face-off against the Arizona Cardinals. The injury left him sidelined for the rest of the season. In March 2026, the Texans released him with a failed physical designation as he recovered from the torn pectoral. But to add depth to their defensive line for the season, they brought him back in August on a one-year deal.
To make room for him on the roster, Houston waived Evan Hull and offensive tackle Derrick Graham. So, the pressure had already been greater, with the fine also coming against the backdrop of two previous NFL suspensions.
Back in 2024, Edwards had won the starting defensive tackle spot in training camp, and in six starts, he had 18 tackles and two sacks. In October that season, he got suspended from four games without pay for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Then, in 2021, while with the Chicago Bears, Edwards was suspended for two games without pay for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Edwards was not the only Texan to take a financial hit after the Bills game. Three more Houston players also received fines, all for uniform violations.
David Montgomery was handed an $11,491 fine for an unauthorized logo on his cleats. Azeez Al-Shaair was fined $11,492 for displaying an unauthorized message on his eye black, and Trent Brown was docked $5,971 for wearing socks that did not fully cover his lower legs.
Al-Shaair has repeatedly used his platform to express support for Palestinians and draw attention to the situation in Gaza. Back in January 2026, he was fined $11,593 for displaying ‘Stop the Genocide’ on his eye black during Houston’s AFC wild card game. This time, against the Bills, he got penalized after he wore the words ‘Hind Rajab’ on his eye black.
The fines came after a game in which Houston’s defense struggled to contain Josh Allen. Allen completed 20 of 29 attempts for 334 yards and two touchdown passes, then added two rushing touchdowns on six carries for 23 yards.
But Houston does not have the time to brood over the misfortunes, as they have to face the Cincinnati Bengals on September 20.