Carter (hamstring) is listed as questionable ahead of Monday's wild-card matchup against the Steelers, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Carter has appeared in only two games this season, most recently due to the hamstring injury. He logged full practices throughout the week, so he appears to have a realistic chance to return. However, Carter will need to be activated from injured reserve Sunday to have the chance to suit up.
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Texans' Jaylen Reed: Full participant in practice
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Reed (forearm) was a full participant in Houston's practice Saturday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Reed is trending toward making his return after having been designated to return from injured reserve earlier in the week. The 22-year-old has been sidelined for the last five weeks but should resume his role as a special teamer and depth defender if he manages to suit up for Monday's wild-card matchup versus the Steelers.
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Texans' Kamari Lassiter: Full go in practice
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Lassiter (ankle/knee) was a full participant in Houston's practice Saturday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Lassiter is seemingly healthy again after missing the team's Week 18 win over the Colts due to ankle and knee injuries. The 22-year-old is expected to resume his role as one of the team's starting cornerbacks alongside Derek Stingley for Monday's wild-card matchup versus the Steelers.
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Texans' Denico Autry: Full participant in practice
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Autry (knee) was a full participant in Houston's practice Saturday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Autry was absent from practice earlier in the week but won't carry an injury designation into Monday's wild-card matchup versus the Steelers. The 35-year-old compiled eight tackles (five solo), including 3.5 sacks, across 12 games during the regular season.
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Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair: Leading tackler in 2025
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Al-Shaair recorded 103 tackles (48 solo), nine passes defensed (two interceptions), one forced fumble and one recovery over 16 regular-season games in 2025.
Al-Shaair was again the leader of Houston's defense, which was one of the best in the NFL in 2025. He led the team in tackles and earned the highest grades in run defense, coverage and overall performance from Pro Football Focus. The 28-year-old is locked in for one more season and will return as Houston's signal caller in 2026.
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Texans' Henry To'oTo'o: Role unchanged in 2025
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To'oTo'o finished the 2025 regular season with 95 tackles (42 solo), 2.5 sacks, four passes defensed, and a fumble recovery over 17 games.
To'oTo'o, who was a staple in the linebacking crew in 2024 and led Houston with 105 tackles in the regular season, was expected to take a step back in usage this season. That expectation was fueled by the return of a healthy Christian Harris and the addition of free agent E.J. Speed, but To'oTo'o remained an integral part. The Texans played a lot of nickel, which naturally limits one linebacker position, and To'oTo'o along with Azeez Al-Shaair made the cut. To'oTo'o has one year remaining on his rookie contract.
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Texans' Derek Stingley: Targeted less in 2025
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Stingley recorded 36 tackles (26 solo), 15 passes defensed (four interceptions), a forced fumble and a touchdown over 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Stingley played a full 17-game season for the second consecutive campaign, as he enhanced his legend as a shutdown corner. While the 36 tackles were a career low, it had more to do with quarterbacks not throwing his way. Stingley was targeted just 65 times after seeing 95 the previous regular season in the same number of games. There was some slippage in reception percentage and missed tackles, but Stingley remains among the league's elite cornerbacks.
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Texans' Will Anderson: Double-digit sacks in 2025
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Anderson registered 54 tackles, 12.0 sacks, and a touchdown over 17 regular-season games in 2025. He added three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Anderson established a new career high in sacks and recorded a second consecutive season with double-digit sacks. He and Danielle Hunter (15.0 sacks) at the opposite end of the defensive line were a lot for offensive lines and a big part of the Texans' top-ranked defense. Anderson's touchdown, his first in the NFL, came when he strip-sacked Seattle's Sam Darnold in the end zone and pounced on the ball during a Week 7 loss to the Seahawks. The edge rusher is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2026.
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Texans' Jamal Hill: Full participant Friday
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Hill (calf) was a full participant in Friday's practice.
Hill upgraded to a full participant Friday after being limited in Thursday's practice due to a calf injury he likely sustained in a Week 18 practice. The linebacker missed Week 18 due to the issue but seems set to suit up for Monday night's wild-card matchup with the Steelers. The 24-year-old is set to be the primary depth option at outside linebacker behind starters Henry To'oTo'o and E.J. Speed.
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Texans' Sheldon Rankins: Upgrades to full participation
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Rankins (elbow) was a full participant in Friday's practice.
Rankins was able to upgrade to a full participant Friday after being limited in Thursday's session. The defensive tackle is all set to suit up for Monday night's wild-card clash with the Steelers. Rankins was able to play through his elbow issue against the Colts in Week 18, logging two tackles on 27 offensive snaps in the victory. The 31-year-old will likely see similar utilization in Monday night's contest.
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Texans' Derek Stingley: Full participant Friday
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Stingley (oblique) was a full participant in Friday's practice.
Stingley was able to upgrade to a full participant in Friday's practice after being limited Thursday with an oblique injury he suffered in the Week 15 win over the Cardinals. The starting cornerback has played through the injury since suffering it, managing to dodge an injury designation nearly every week. The 24-year-old is all set to suit up for Monday night's wild-card matchup with the Steelers. Stingley will start opposite Kamari Lassiter (ankle/knee) or Tremon Smith, depending on Lassiter's game-day status.
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Texans' Denico Autry: Upgrades to limited Friday
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Autry (knee) was a limited participant in Friday's practice.
Autry upgraded to a limited participant in Friday's practice after missing Thursday's session due to a persisting knee injury he sustained before the season. Since being activated from the reserve/PUP list, Autry has not missed a game due to the issue and will likely be able to upgrade his practice participation and dodge an injury designation before Monday night's wild-card clash with the Steelers. Autry has one more practice to make this leap, and if he fails to do so, the defensive end's status for Monday's game will be in jeopardy.
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Texans' Calen Bullock: Arrow points up
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Bullock registered 64 tackles (44 solo), four interceptions and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Bullock built off a productive rookie season in 2024 and is entrenched on the back end of Houston's top-ranked defense. His biggest effort came in the win over Buffalo in Week 12, when he picked off Josh Allen twice and forced a fumble -- two of those turnovers led to points, and the third iced the Texans' win. Bullock has started all 34 games during the regular season since being drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft and has nine interceptions for Houston.
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Texans' Kamari Lassiter: Misses practice, expects to play
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Lassiter (ankle/knee) did not practice Thursday but said he expects to suit up for Monday's wild-card matchup on the road against Pittsburgh, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
The Texans seem to simply be taking a cautious approach to Lassiter's health, and he will have two more chances to resume practicing ahead of Monday's road playoff matchup. The starting cornerback missed Houston's regular-season finale against the Colts in Week 18 due to a pair of injuries.
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Kaevon Merriweather: Placed on practice-squad IL
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Merriweather (knee) was placed on the Texans' practice-squad injured list Thursday.
Merriweather won't be available to play in the postseason due to the knee injury he sustained in Houston's regular-season finale. The Texans signed fellow safety K'Von Wallace to the practice squad in a corresponding move.
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Texans' Kamari Lassiter: Doesn't practice Thursday
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Lassiter (ankle) isn't practicing Thursday, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Lassiter has two opportunities left to take the practice field before Monday's wild-card round matchup with the Steelers, and Alexander expects Lassiter to be available Monday. The starting cornerback's practice participation will be worth monitoring over the coming days after Lassiter sat out the Week 18 win over the Colts.
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Texans' Jaylen Reed: Designated for return from IR
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Reed (forearm) was designated for return from injured reserve Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Reed can resume practicing, though Houston would need to follow up with a roster move adding him to the active roster for the safety to be eligible to play in Monday's wild-card round road game against the Steelers. The rookie sixth-round pick dressed for seven games in the regular season but has been on injured reserve since Dec. 6.
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K'Von Wallace: Cut by Houson
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The Texans waived Wallace on Tuesday.
Houston signed Wallace to the 53-man roster from the practice squad Dec. 26, and he handled a starting role on defense for the team in Week 17 and Week 18, totaling nine tackles (seven solo) in those appearances. He could now be a candidate to resurface on the team's practice squad, as the Texans prepare to make a hopeful run during the playoffs.
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Texans' Darrell Taylor: Remaining sidelined
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Taylor (ankle) was not activated from injured reserve Saturday and has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Colts.
Taylor has been on injured reserve since Week 10 but has practiced for the last couple of weeks. He should have the chance to be activated ahead of Houston's wild-card round matchup.
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Texans' Denico Autry: Good to go Week 18
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Autry (knee) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game against the Colts.
After missing the first five games of the season, Autry has produced eight tackles (five solo), including 3.5 sacks, and one pass breakup as a rotational lineman for the Texans.
