Texans' Jaylin Noel: Needs season-ending surgery on toe
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Noel, who was placed on injured reserve earlier Wednesday, is expected to require surgery to address his toe injury and will miss the remainder of the season, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Noel was forced out of this past Sunday's 27-21 overtime loss to the Giants after going down with the toe injury with just under nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The loss of Noel is a major blow to the Texans, as he had been serving as the team's top return man in addition to emerging as a big-play threat on offense. Through Houston's first seven games, Noel had recorded 19 receptions for a team-leading 331 yards and two touchdowns and added 26 yards on four carries.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Lands on injured reserve
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The Texans placed Noel on injured reserve Wednesday.
Noel is dealing with a case of turf toe following this past Sunday's overtime loss to the Giants and will now be sidelined for at least the next four games after landing on IR. The second-year player had been one of the Texans' more productive wideouts on a per-play basis this season, notching 19 receptions for 331 yards and two touchdowns on 23 targets over just 200 total snaps. With Noel out through Week 12, more opportunities in the passing game could open up for Marvin Harrison, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell and Kayshon Boutte.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Wearing walking boot after Sunday's game
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Noel (toe) was seen in a walking boot after Sunday's 27-21 overtime loss to the Giants, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Noel suffered a toe injury in the fourth quarter of Week 7 action and didn't return, finishing with two catches (on two targets) for minus-3 yards. He wasn't able to parlay his 107-yard outing from Week 6 against the Jaguars in London into any success this Sunday, and he now be in danger of missing time.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Dealing with toe injury
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Noel departed Sunday's game versus the Giants in the fourth quarter due to a toe injury.
On the heels of a 107-yard effort as a receiver in Week 6 against the Jaguars in London, Noel mustered just minus-3 yards on two catches before exiting Week 7 action early.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Records 100-plus yards, TD in Week 6
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Noel gathered in all four targets for 107 yards and one touchdown during Sunday's 34-31 win against the Jaguars in London.
Noel has made much of his mark on special teams through five games this season, including two kick returns for 65 yards and one punt return for two yards in Week 6. However, he reached the end zone for a second consecutive game on a 13-yard connection with QB C.J. Stroud, and Noel's receiving-yardage total easily bested his previous career high of 85 yards, which he managed in Week 4 against the Cowboys. Nico Collins remains the top dog in the Texans' receiving corps, and Marvin Harrison just showed up from Arizona via trade, but Noel appears to have built a nice rapport with Stroud as his second season has gone on.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Five catches, scores TD in victory
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Noel caught all five of his targets for 41 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 26-3 win over Tennessee.
Noel led the team in catches in the victory, most notably reeling in a nine-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud in the fourth quarter. The wide receiver has now caught 13 of 17 targets for 227 yards and a touchdown over five contests to open the 2026 campaign. With Houston trading for wideout Marvin Harrison on Sunday, it's unclear if Noel will continue to see the same amount of opportunities moving forward.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Primed for larger role?
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Noel has a chance for more playing time with Nico Collins (hamstring) ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Aaron Wilson of SportsTalk790AM reports.
Noel caught both of his targets for 53 yards in the season opener, operating as Houston's No. 3 receiver and running a route on just 33 percent of dropbacks. He should get more playing time this week, though Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte are more likely to take snaps in two-wide sets. Both have maintained consistently low target rates across multiple years of significant playing time, so Noel could make an impact even if he's just the No. 3 receiver.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Fully healthy
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Noel (hamstring) is not listed on the Week 1 injury report Wednesday.
Noel dealt with hamstring and finger issues early on in camp but is ready to go for Sunday's season opener against Buffalo. The second-year wideout is competing with Xavier Hutchinson for snaps behind Nico Collins and trade pickup Kayshon Boutte.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Ramping back up at practice
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Noel (hamstring/finger) returned to practice this week, and the plan is to get him ramped back up to full speed over the next couple weeks, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Noel missed a couple weeks of action with a pulled hamstring and pinkie finger issue, but he's now suddenly in the spotlight in a big way in Houston after it was reported that Jayden Higgins suffered a season-ending torn ACL this week. A third-round pick out of Iowa State in the 2025 Draft, Noel appeared in all 17 regular-season games as a rookie but was on the field for just 26 percent of the offensive snaps behind Nico Collins, Higgins, Xavier Hutchinson and Christian Kirk. With Higgins now out and Kirk in San Francisco, there's a big opportunity for Noel to carve out a role in two- or three-wide sets. When on the field in 2025, Noel was productive, turning 35 regular-season targets into 26 catches for 292 yards (11.2 yards per catch) and a pair of touchdowns.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Unexpectedly returns to practice Tuesday
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Noel (hamstring) was spotted in full pads and a red no-contact uniform for Tuesday's practice, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Noel's presence on the field comes as a surprise, after Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported Sunday that the wideout would likely be sidelined "a few weeks" due to a hamstring issue. Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins are locked in as the top two receivers on the depth chart, but Noel could secure the No. 3 role over the likes of Xavier Hutchinson and Tank Dell (knee) if he can quickly get healthy.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Optimism around Week 1 availability
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The Texans are optimistic that Noel (hamstring/finger) will be available for the team's regular-season opener against the Bills on Sunday, Sept. 13, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Noel was sidelined by a right pinkie injury that he sustained days before the start of training camp. He is now working through a strained hamstring and is training on the side during practice, though the Texans regard that particular injury as a minor setback and are expecting the 2025 third-rounder to suit up for Week 1. Noel is aiming to build off his rookie campaign, when he caught 26 passes (on 35 targets) for 292 yards and two touchdowns across 17 regular-season games while also contributing as a returner on punts and kickoffs.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Will miss 'a few weeks' with hamstring issue
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Noel recently sustained a hamstring injury that will likely keep him from practicing for "a few weeks," Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
The wideout previously had a delayed start to training camp due to a right pinkie finger injury, which caused him to miss some practice time before he was activated from the active/non-football injury list Aug. 7. Just over a week later, Noel is now dealing with a more worrisome hamstring issue, which had relegated him to a side field in the Texans' last few practices. Receivers coach Ben McDaniels expressed confidence that Noel will be "ready to roll" once he's cleared to resume taking part in team drills, but the missed reps during practices and preseason games likely will damage his chances of heading into Week 1 as the Texans' No. 3 receiver. Noel has been competing with Xavier Hutchinson and Tank Dell (knee) for those duties.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Activated from NFI list
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The Texans activated Noel (finger) from the active/non-football injury list Friday morning.
After missing the first two weeks of training camp, Noel will hope to join the job battle for the No. 3 WR role in Houston. Noel's main competition is Tank Dell (knee) and Xavier Hutchinson.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Dealing with finger injury
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Noel's placement on the active/non-football injury list is due to a finger injury that could cause him to miss a few weeks, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio remarked that Noel could be back in a few weeks, though Wilson has reported that the second-year wideout's injury is short-term. It will be encouraging if Wilson is able to get back on the practice field at training camp sooner rather than later, given the opportunity he faces to secure the No. 3 receiver role behind Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins. As long as Noel remains sidelined, Xavier Hutchinson, Lewis Bond and Justin Watson will benefit from increased reps. The same could be true of Tank Dell (knee), who will begin camp limited to side work but will ramp up to full-team reps.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Lands on non-football injury list
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Noel (undisclosed) was placed on the active/non-football injury list by the Texans on Tuesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
It's not clear what landed Noel on the list, but the wideout is eligible to be activated at any time once he's deemed ready to practice. The 2025 third-rounder will compete for slotting in a Houston WR corps that includes Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell (knee) and Lewis Bond, with Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins as the expected starters.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Impresses at minicamp
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Noel was a standout at the Texans' mandatory minicamp, Jared Koch of SI.com reports.
Noel reportedly connected with quarterback C.J. Stroud for multiple touchdowns during team drills at mandatory minicamp, which took place from June 9-11. The 2025 third-rounder displayed impressive versatility as a rookie, suiting up for all 17 regular-season games while compiling a 26-292-2 receiving line (on 35 targets), rushing six times for 12 yards, and racking up 799 kick-return yards and 335 yards on punt returns. He enters Year 2 competing with Tank Dell (knee) and Xavier Hutchinson for receiver reps behind Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins, with Koch reporting that Noel currently appears to be in the lead for the No. 3 role.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: One grab in win
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Noel caught his lone target for 13 yards and returned one kickoff for six yards in Sunday's 38-30 win over the Colts in Week 18.
Noel finished with one or fewer receptions for the 11th time in 17 games. He's clearly fifth on the wideout depth chart, but the rookie is set as the team's top punt returner as Houston prepares for the playoffs beginning next Monday in Pittsburgh. Noel finished the 2025 regular season with 26 catches on 35 targets for 292 yards and two touchdowns. He also topped the Texans by averaging 10.8 yards over 31 punt returns.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Makes impact in win
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Noel caught three of four targets for 54 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 20-16 win over the Chargers in Week 17. He also had one carry for two yards.
It was a big day for Houston's rookie wideouts, as both Noel and Jayden Higgins scored on the team's first two possessions. With Los Angeles' defense paying extra attention to Nico Collins, Noel was one-on-one and beat Elijah Molden deep on a post route for a 43-yard score. It was the second touchdown of the season for the rookie, whose inconsistent production from week to week makes him a hard start for fantasy managers. Noel has seven receptions on 10 targets for 82 yards over the last seven games.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Sets up two scores in win
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Noel returned one punt for 13 yards and two kickoffs for 108 yards in Sunday's 40-20 win over Arizona in Week 15. He was not targeted on offense.
Noel's 39-yard return on the opening kickoff put Houston in good field position on its first possession and set up a 57-yard touchdown pass. He later returned a kick 69 yards to set up a field goal. Noel's mostly been a non-factor on offense unless there are injuries ahead of him the depth chart. Since a three-game spree (11-16-153, one TD) earlier in the season, the 2025 third-round pick has eight receptions on 10 targets for 63 yards over the last seven games.
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Texans' Jaylin Noel: Targeted once in win
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Noel did not catch his lone target and amassed 106 return yards on two punts and three kickoffs in Sunday's 20-16 win over Indianapolis in Week 13.
This has been the pattern for three consecutive games, as Noel barely makes a dent on offense but is heavily involved on special teams. The silver lining for his role on offense is that Sunday's target came in the red zone with C.J. Stroud back under center. Noel has caught 20 of 28 targets (including four in the red zone) for 213 yards and one touchdown this season.
