What Braden Smith's Latest Injury Update Means for Texans' Offense

It looks like the Houston Texans will be without their veteran right tackle for a few weeks.

According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, Texans tackle Braden Smith suffered an injury to his plantar fascia during practice on Wednesday. The injury could lead to him missing a "few weeks," but is not regarded as an injury that is long-term or season-ending.

Texans RT Braden Smith, who was carted off from practice this week, suffered an injury to his plantar fascia. He could miss “a few weeks”, per a source, but it is not considered a long-term injury. pic.twitter.com/3gswSucqnp
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 27, 2026

Based on the intel we had earlier this week when Smith first suffered his injury, the news is pretty close to best-case scenario for the Texans.

Smith was carted off in Wednesday's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, along with defensive end Ali Gaye, with some fearing that Houston's veteran tackle could've went down with a significant injury that would derail his season.

Instead, Smith will only be out of the mix for a few weeks, which is good news for the Texans and their offensive line for the extent of the 2026 season. But at the same time, the development also does leave some immediate questions as to how his absence could affect things moving forward.

Let's break down what Smith's latest injury update means for the Texans as the regular season gets closer and closer to kicking off.

What Braden Smith's Injury Means for Texans & Their Offensive Line

With the timeline given for Smith's recovery, which appears to be multiple weeks, that's an injury which could shift the construct of Houston's starting five-man offensive line for the first week of the regular season.

Smith, while he was signed this offseason with the intent of being the starting right tackle of the Texans' offense, wasn't exactly locked into that role. He's been fighting within a competition to be named the starter opposite of Aireontae Ersery, and might now have his case to do so put on pause until he's healthy.

Aug 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive tackle Braden Smith (71) during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That means, for the time in which Smith is set to be sidelined, those starting right tackle duties will be handed to Trent Brown: the Texans' starting right tackle from the second half of the 2025 season, and the man who's been primarily competing with Smith through the first few weeks of the team being back in the building.

Smith's injury might also lead to Texans' third-year tackle Blake Fisher, their second-round pick in the 2024 draft, to be moved up the depth chart as well.

Fisher has found himself competing to be the fourth offensive tackle on the roster behind Ersery, Smith, and Brown by the time cutdowns arrive at the end of this weekend, and hasn't had a ton of surefire security that he’ll be one of the lucky 53.

But in recent days, Fisher has seen some significant praise from head coach DeMeco Ryans, and might now have a much better chance of hanging on with the recent injury troubles in the room, depending on how long Smith is sidelined.

Could Smith end up going on injured reserve to start the season? It's very possible, and would leave him off to the side for at least the first four weeks of the year. That might also then settle Brown and Fisher into their respective roles for a while, and lead to some interesting questions by the time Smith is ready to return.

For now, Smith will be out and recovering from his latest injury, and Brown will be the one starting in his place. It's a tough blow to the Texans' offensive line to start the year, but shouldn't be one that hinders them for the long-term.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google