Texans Change Plans for Starters in Raiders Preseason Game

The Houston Texans are changing plans for their second week of preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders.

According to The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan M. Alexander, the Texans will be resting most of their starters for Thursday's game against the Raiders.

It's a change in plans from how things initially expected to unravel within the Texans' second preseason game of the year.

Ryans had spoken to the media earlier in the week, stating that all healthy players would be playing against the Raiders, including top names like C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, and other key starters.

Instead, the Texans’ head coach and the team have decided that they'll be shifting their plans for Week 2 of preseason. Most players will be resting and likely look a bit more similar to Houston's first preseason game of the year against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Texans Expected to Rest Starters in Preseason Game vs. Raiders

The move from the Texans connects to their joint practice session that took place on Tuesday, where both teams saw key starters and first-team units face off against one another in team drills and similar settings that a preseason game would present.

And it was in that practice where, for DeMeco Ryans, he liked what he saw. Seemingly, it was enough to rest his top guys for their upcoming preseason game as a result.

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans jogs onto the field before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The update from the Texans also comes quickly after news had been revealed that wide receiver Jayden Higgins had reportedly suffered a torn ACL in that joint practice earlier in the week, effectively ending his 2026 season before it even started.

So if the Texans are able to rest their top starters, that idea also tends to mitigate injury risk for any of Houston's premier names around the roster just a couple of weeks away from the regular season.

Some Noteworthy Players Could Still Suit Up for Houston

The Texans could still decide to play a couple of key names around their roster, even if the likes of Will Anderson and Derek Stingley are set to be rested for another preseason game.

Houston's first-unit offensive line played a drive in their first preseason game against the Chargers for the Texans to get a glimpse of what that group looks like in a live, in-game setting. If the coaching staff wanted to get another, similar look at them, Thursday's game against the Raiders can do that.

According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, C.J. Stroud might also be in to "potentially" play a few snaps in the Texans' preseason game.

#Texans expected to rest several starters vs. #Raiders a change in plans from their original idea for Thursday night, per a league sourc, especially on defense. Some offensive starters are still expected to play briefly, potentially C.J. Stroud
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 19, 2026

Perhaps those snaps for Stroud, if he does get in the game for any, could be alongside the first-string offensive line, which allows that unit to gain further chemistry with their starting quarterback, especially for the center, which, to this point, looks likely to be rookie Keylan Rutledge.

And Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans had also expressed his desire to get wide receiver Tank Dell in a preseason game earlier in the week, yet didn't note when that might take place.

Maybe Dell gets to play in this game, the Texans could wait until next week on the road against the Carolina Panthers, or they may now decide they don't want to play him through the next couple of games ahead at all.

Regardless, expect fewer starters on the field for the Texans in their upcoming preseason game against the Raiders. And for the ones that do play, they might not be out there for very long.

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