The 2026 preseason came to a close for the Houston Texans on Friday as they fell short 16-13 against the Carolina Panthers. None of the starters played, as it was the final chance for several players to prove they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster.
Newly signed veteran wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones made their debuts in the blue and red, but they should already have their roster spots secured. Below, I will discuss the players that either earned another opportunity or spoiled the one they had.
Winners and Losers from the Houston Texans' loss in preseason finale
It was a preseason game, so of course, the football was a bit sloppy. However, certain players managed to rise above the situation and stood out on film.
Winners: Rookie linebacker Aiden Fisher and veteran safety George Odum
On the defensive side of the ball, Fisher was all over the field. The rookie out of Indiana led the Texans with 12 total tackles, and he played nearly the entire game. Fisher will be one of the first linebackers to substitute for the Texans this season, particularly at the will position. Out of all three linebacker spots (Will [weak side], Mike [middle] and Sam [strong side]), the will is typically the smallest and most athletic, as they tend to have the most difficult pass coverage assignments.
Fisher's draft profile suggests he lacks speed and athleticism, but he showed different on Friday. If he can continue to develop and adapt to the NFL, he could turn into a potential starter down the line.
Safeties usually line up behind the linebackers, and Odum was the best of the bunch against the Panthers. Odum started his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, and he also spent time as a San Francisco 49er from 2022-2024. He played in just three games for the Colts last season, and he went into Friday night at the bottom of the depth chart for his position.
Odum finished second on the team in tackles, and he also came up with an interception as the Panthers tried to score before halftime. The pass from Kyle Trask was about as inaccurate as possible and landed right in Odum's lap, but a nice return helped setup a Texans field goal before the break.
Ja'Marcus Ingram is ahead of Odum on the depth chart, but the latter did enough to take his spot in my opinion. Ingram injured his shoulder in the Texans preseason opener, and he hasn't returned since, likely leading to him being cut.
Losers: Guards Sam Hagen and Jarrett Patterson
The Texans allowed four sacks and five tackles for loss Friday night. On the first passing play of the game, Patterson (playing right guard) and Hagen (playing right tackle at the time) got beat and gave up a sack. On the very next play, the Panthers grabbed another sack stemming from a poor blitz pickup by running back Owen Wright.
Hagen, a rookie out of South Dakota State, can be given some slack since he was playing tackle instead of guard. Patterson, on the other hand, was simply poor when it came to pass protection. Both are on the third string, and the Texans may opt to keep Hagen around because of youth, but I wouldn't be surprised if they get replaced.
Wright has a ton of work to do in terms of recognizing and picking up blitzes, and he's already 27 years old. Unless he can contribute on special teams, he has almost no shot at making the 53-man roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google