Texans WR Called Up to Active Roster After Christian Kirk Injury

The Houston Texans have made a move in the wide receiver room ahead of their Week 1 matchup vs. the Los Angeles Rams.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, the Texans have elevated wide receiver Jared Wayne to the active roster.

The move comes after the recent injuries suffered by the Texans' wide receiver corps in the days leading up to their Week 1 kickoff. Both starting slot receiver Christian Kirk and special teams standout Braxton Berrios have been officially ruled out ahead of Sunday's contest, now leading to Houston adding an extra bit of depth in the room amid their absence.

Wayne, an undrafted receiver out of Pittsburgh, has been with the Texans since 2024 after being signed as a UDFA, and has been on and off the practice squad throughout his tenure in Houston. In the three games he was active for in 2024, he remained mainly a piece on special teams, failing to log a target throughout his rookie campaign.

He now gets an opportunity to get on the field pretty quickly in his second year pro, filling in place of a slightly beaten-up receiver room that now sits at six active wideouts on game day.

Jun 10, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jared Wayne (14) participates in a drill during an NFL football minicamp at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The status of Kirk and Berrios moving forward still remains a bit up in the air, as both currently suffer from hamstring strains to keep them out of the action for Houston's opener.

Berrios' injury status is reportedly less severe than Kirk's. Berrios has seen optimism that he'll be ready to go come Week 2, while the Texans brass is seemingly more cautious with Kirk, which could lead to a two-game absence.

For however long both are out, the focus for this receiver room turns towards the obvious number-one target in Nico Collins, along with Xavier Hutchinson, and the rookie duo of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Noel appears to be the most likely to claim the lion's share of snaps in the slot with Kirk being unavailable, while the rest could also gain some extended looks for their own respective target share as well.

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