Texans Stock Report: Who's Rising and Falling After Week 1 Loss to Bills

The Houston Texans have started their 2026 campaign off at 0-1 following their Week 1 loss vs. the Buffalo Bills, 31-36.

And within the events of the Texans' season opener loss, there were a select few players around the roster that still saw their individual stock on the rise.

And naturally, after the Texans missed out on starting their new season off with a win, there were others in the mix that saw their stock trend in the opposite direction, hoping to shift the narrative in time for Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

But before turning the page to next weekend's game, let's sort through some of the Texans' five biggest stock risers and fallers following their Week 1 action against Buffalo:

Rising Stock

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) in action during the game against the Buffalo Bills at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

RB David Montgomery

While Montgomery could've been more efficient in his opportunities (20 carries for 60 yards) to make his Texans debut look even better than it did as is with three touchdowns, there's no doubt that this was an inspiring performance for Houston's rushing attack.

COUNT 'EM 🗣️ That's three TDs for David Montgomery!

BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iUc7FIoNID
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

In 2025, the Texans had just nine rushing touchdowns recorded over the course of the regular season. They've already found their way to a third of that total after just one week, thanks to the investment that was made in Montgomery this offseason.

QB C.J. Stroud

Even when factoring in his fourth-quarter fumble that essentially gave away the Texans' hopes of a last-minute comeback, most of this game was a refreshing performance for Stroud; completing nearly 70% of his passes, throwing for over 270 yards, and two touchdown passes.

Stroud certainly would've loved to see this one end differently. But there's no doubt the Texans quarterback showed that he's more than capable of propelling this passing offense to better results than he did last year.

OG Keylan Rutledge

The Texans' first-round rookie wasted no time making noise on the offensive line as a day-one starter. In 79 total snaps at left guard, Rutledge allowed 1 pressure with 0 sacks or quarterback hits.

Pro Football Focus also graded Rutledge as the Texans' best offensive lineman to take the field throughout the day (70.3). Maybe Nick Caserio wasn't wrong calling this guy the best offensive lineman the roster has.

LB Jake Hansen

The Texans have officially placed Henry To'oTo'o on injured reserve after he suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter against Buffalo. And the linebacker to get snaps in the seven plays he was on the sidelines last week was none other than the veteran Jake Hansen.

DeMeco Ryans said Henry To'oTo'o has a shoulder injury and "will be out for some time."
— Jonathan M Alexander (@jonmalexander) September 14, 2026

Fourth-round rookie Wade Woodaz has a chance to get some extended playing time over the next few weeks as well. But the most obvious bet to get more reps appears to be Hansen, based on what we saw this weekend.

DT Mario Edwards Jr.

Without Kayden McDonald on the field to make his NFL debut, Edwards became the clear beneficiary of his absence, considering he was out there for 31% of the Texans' defense snaps as a rotational piece behind Sheldon Rankins and Tommy Togiai.

Expect similar work to go Edwards' way in the weeks ahead until McDonald is officially back in business, which, by the earliest, will be in Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans.

Falling Stock

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (3) is unable to make a catch for an interception against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WR Kayshon Boutte

It felt like, based on circling reports prior to Sunday's kickoff, Boutte was due for a bigger role compared to what he actually got. He saw one reception go his way throughout the day, which ended up being a nice 21-yard catch, but was pretty limited beyond that.

Stroud with a strike to his new WR, Kayshon Boutte 👏

BUFvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ku8LHNK5rP
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026

There's more than enough time for Boutte to integrate himself further into this passing attack. But at least to start, it may take a few weeks before his connection with Stroud really takes off.

WR Jaylin Noel

The Texans' third-year pass-catcher didn't get quite the opportunities his way that I was expected all throughout the preseason. Noel was on the field for 24 offensive snaps to ultimately haul in two receptions for 23 yards.

Like Boutte, there's more than enough time for Noel to get further involved. For now, though, his primary duties appear to be as a contributor as a returner on special teams.

TE Marlin Klein

As the Texans got deeper into preseason and their rookie tight end started making more plays, many started to put him on the map as potentially Houston's TE2 or TE3 to enter the season and get a good share of snaps his way from the jump.

That didn't exactly happen in Week 1, though. Klein was on the field for nine snaps, hauled in one encouraging reception for a 16-yard gain, and was left a non-factor outside of that. On a roster with five tight ends, it's easy to see why an inexperienced first-year guy was left desiring more opportunities.

DE Danielle Hunter

Of the stars on the Texans' loaded defense that had perhaps the quietest day of them all against Buffalo, there's little doubt that Hunter is the one who fills that mold the best. He had zero sacks, zero tackles, and just one pressure on 25 total pass rush snaps.

It was a lackluster day for a lot of the Texans' highly acclaimed defense, which ultimately led to an explosive Bills scoring performance with 36 total points. An uninspiring pass rush for most of the way was a big part of that.

CB Kamari Lassiter

Sure, Lassiter did have some big plays to start this game against Buffalo in the first half. He logged three tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass deflection, but then saw a couple of errors hit him on back-to-back plays in the fourth quarter: a dropped interception, and being on the opposite side of Buffalo's game-winning touchdown.

"This is not where the ball is supposed to go. We have never once repped the ball going there."

Josh Allen breaks down the Josh Palmer TD, which gave the Bills the lead late in the game

🎙️: @EvanWashburn pic.twitter.com/SMxQxE7Ti4
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 13, 2026

A less-than-ideal start to the year for whom many consider the NFL's best No. 2 corner. But there's no doubt that both he and the Texans' defense as a whole can turn things around in the weeks ahead.

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