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The Houston Texans returned to practice today after enjoying a much needed bye week at the mid-point of the regular season.
While most players benefited greatly from having a week off to physically and mentally recover, there are still a few who were unable to join their teammates in preparation for the upcoming road game against Jacksonville. Most notable on the latest injury list is wide receiver Jaelen Strong, who may miss upwards of a month due to an ankle injury.
Not practicing: Jaelen Strong, Will Fuller, Brian Peters, Vince Wilfork, Christian Covington
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 7, 2016
Texans wide receiver Jaelen Strong is expected to miss roughly a month with sprained ankle.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 7, 2016
Vince Wilfork (groin) and Will Fuller (knee, hamstring) are also both still recovering from injuries they suffered in the last tilt against the Detroit Lions before the bye week.
Texans' Will Fuller, Vince Wilfork remain sidelined after bye https://t.co/CcITlcNf2J via @houstonchron
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 7, 2016
Aaron Wilson of Chron.com reported the following:
Wilfork injured his groin against the Lions and didn't return. If Wilfork is out Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, rookie D.J. Reader could make his first NFL start in his place.
Fuller has been dealing with knee and hamstring injuries and was forced out of a win over the Detroit Lions.
Wide receiver Jaelen Strong is expected to miss roughly a month with a sprained ankle he sustained against the Lions. Strong was in a walking boot after the game and had a magnetic resonance imaging exam.
Texans inside linebacker and special-teams player Brian Peters is still out with a quadriceps injury that has kept him out since a road loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
There is some good news being reported about cornerback Kevin Johnson, who suffered a broken foot a few weeks ago, as it sounds like surgery was not necessary:
Texans corner Kevin Johnson didn't require surgery for broken foot that sidelined him for remainder of season. Long-term outlook is good
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 7, 2016
Aaron Wilson included this regarding Kevin Johnson:
Johnson underwent offseason surgery after his rookie season to address a Jones fracture in the same foot. This time, Johnson is allowing the foot to heal on its own. Johnson's long-term medical outlook for the foot is regarded as good.
Let’s hope that Wilfork and Fuller are ready to go soon. After seeing the Denver Broncos get handled by the Oakland Raiders, Houston is going to need as much talent available as possible in a couple of weeks when they face the Raiders in Mexico City.