The Houston Texans are mostly healthy heading into Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, save for rookie second-round draft pick Kayden McDonald.
He was one of two non-participants at practice, according to the Texans’ injury report. The other was star pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was given the day off for rest. McDonald is dealing with an ankle issue.
His absence did not go unnoticed.
The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander noted during the viewing portion of practice that McDonald was “The only player missing from today’s #Texans practice.”
Texans DT Kayden McDonald Misses Practice on Thursday
The most concerning aspect of McDonald’s situation is that there may have been a setback that led to his decreased participation level. He is not a starter according to the Texans’ “unofficial” depth chart.
Still, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans recently praised McDonald for his progress so far.
The Texans traded up to select the former Ohio State Buckeyes star and 2024 College Football Playoffs national champion 36th overall in the 2026 draft.
“Kayden’s come along,” Ryans told reporters on September 9. “He’s come along really good; he’s improved each week; he’s gotten better with what we’ve asked him to do. Still a young, ascending player, but he’s done a good job of what we’ve asked him to do, and he has more to him than just being a run player.”
However, the Texans may feel they can afford to give McDonald a break to heal up.
“We feel like we have a really good rotation with our defensive tackles. We have some depth there. That’s probably the best depth that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Ryans said in the next breath of that same media session.
“Just excited with that group, with that different amount of guys we can mix in, have different combinations out there. I think it’ll be a really strong part of our defense this year.”
Bills Navigating Injury Concerns
At the very least, the Bills will enter this game with a couple of situations worth monitoring. But they could meet the Texans down some valuable reserve options.
The Bills listed three players on their injury report for Thursday: defensive back Jordan Hancock, defensive lineman T.J. Sanders, and running back Ty Johnson. Johnson is the only one of the three who has not practiced this week.
Hancock progressed, going from a non-participant on Wednesday to a limited session on Thursday.
Sanders, like McDonald, took a step back before the Texans host the Bills.
Bills-Texans Part III
Both the Bills and the Texans will look to get healthier in their final practice of the week and before game day. This is the third year in a row that the Bills and Texans will face one another, with Houston having won both previous matchups.
And yet, the Bills remain road favorites, giving the Texans 1.5 points, per FanDuel.
Home-field advantage in the NFL is roughly 1.5 points, so the Texans are essentially facing a 3-point swing at home against a team they have defeated in back-to-back seasons.
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