Go all-out in preseason and you usually just end up with some sore muscles, a few ugly plays on tape, and an ice pack big enough to cover half your couch. But for the Texans this August? It’s been way worse. The pads aren’t even sweaty from Week 1 yet, and DeMeco Ryans’ sideline already looks like a MASH unit. And just when Ryans was trying to keep things steady, the hits kept coming.

Another tight end out. Another vet standing around in a bucket hat. And another practice where more people were watching the trainer’s cart than the scoreboard clock. And just like that, Houston’s wiggle room just got a whole lot smaller in one week. We’re at a point where we can label this peculiar injury situation at the Texans as a ‘crisis.’ It’s time to hit the panic bells.

Yeah, it was made clear when insider Aaron Wilson gave us a look at Tuesday’s camp and noted that pretty much half the roster was missing. Tytus Howard didn’t practice; neither did tight end Irv Smith Jr. (hand), left tackle Cam Robinson (leg), rookie receiver Jaylen Reed (ankle), or safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (knee) – all were out.

With Howard out, DeMeco Ryans got to shuffle both edges. That’s a big deal after the Texans reworked their tackle room back in March by bringing in former Jags left tackle Cam Robinson. The problem is, Robinson’s already dealing with a little leg issue. He was supposed to be the steady hand after they moved on from three-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil, so if he misses time? It’ll be like watching dominoes start to fall across the whole O-line.

The other big headline? C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s knee. Word is he had a meniscus trim with a 6–8 week recovery. Sure, good news long-term, but cutting it close for a September opener if rehab hits any bumps. In the meantime, the Texans have been running first-team safety reps with Calen Bullock and M.J. Stewart, and even mixing in Jalen Mills. Yeah, DeMeco’s already shuffling the deck to see what his Week 1 safety group might look like.

Even the “next man up” spots are taking hits. Irv Smith Jr. was brought in to stretch the seam and pair with Dalton Schultz, but without him, most of the tight end snaps are falling back on Schultz and special-teams guy Brevin Jordan’s group. And of course, that’s right where the next round of bad news landed.

Ryans didn’t bother with the usual “next man up” clichés this week. He just said the Texans will “adjust and keep rolling.” The problem is, every adjustment comes with a price. The day Howard was watching from the sideline, the O-line looked like this: Aireontae Ersery, Laken Tomlinson, Jake Andrews, Ed Ingram, and Blake Fisher. That’s the kind of lineup you hope to see in December when the starters are resting, not in August. And now, Brevin Jordan’s injury might be the breaking point.

Brevin Jordan is the last domino to fall in DeMeco Ryans’ team

Yes, Brevin Jordan went down in practice with a season-ending knee injury, and now he’s on IR. The timing is absolutely brutal. This was supposed to be the year he put it all together, finally pairing that pass-catching burst with more consistent blocking. Instead, his summer ends early, and what looked like his most complete season yet never even gets off the ground.

It’s almost cruel. Jordan had just won the team’s trust late last year, even landing an extension in December after showing up big as a red-zone and play-action weapon. That’s exactly the kind of target who thrives in C.J. Stroud’s precision-and-YAC-heavy offense.

From a production standpoint, Jordan was the clear TE2 behind Dalton Schultz last year, moving around the formation and adding a little wrinkle to the offense. Schultz led the group with 53 grabs for 532 yards and 2 scores, but the summer plan was to run more two-tight end sets, basically, with Jordan working the motion and flats while Irv Smith Jr. flexed outside. Take Jordan out completely, sideline Smith with a hand issue, and suddenly you’re looking at Schultz… plus whatever’s on the practice tape.

So what now? Short term, the Texans can bump up some depth. Dalton Keene’s been bouncing between the practice squad and the roster bubble. Maybe lean on more big-slot looks from John Metchie III until Smith’s back. Longer term, Nick Caserio could be eyeing the street market for a veteran flex tight end once cut-down week hits and the waiver wire starts filling up.