Texans lose two up front as RT Braden Smith (foot) and DE Ali Gaye carted off in joint practice

A joint practice with the Carolina Panthers turned damaging for the Houston Texans on Wednesday, as two front-seven players were carted off the field with lower-body injuries on separate plays.

Right tackle Braden Smith, who signed a two-year, $20 million free-agent deal with Houston this offseason, is believed to have suffered a foot injury that forced him off the field. Defensive end Ali Gaye went down with a leg injury on a different field during the same session. Both were helped onto a single cart and taken inside for further examination, unable to put weight on the affected legs.

The Texans have already absorbed a string of training-camp injuries along the offensive line, and losing Smith — a prized free-agent addition tasked with stabilizing the right side — for any length of time would be a meaningful blow. Gaye, a young edge piece, had been working to carve out a rotational role.

Witnesses described a tough scene: the cart came out for both players, and beat reporters noted the injuries occurred early in the session on different fields. Smith's was specifically characterized as a foot issue, while Gaye's was reported as a leg injury.

The extent of either injury is not yet known; the team is expected to run further tests before offering a timetable. Aaron Wilson of KPRC added that both are leg injuries and that neither player could put weight on the leg as they left the field.