Texans' Jadeveon Clowney on track to return on time from knee injury
Houston Texans' head coach Bill O'Brien said outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was on track to return in the scheduled four to six week timeline, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chroniclereported on Thursday afternoon.
Clowney suffered a knee injury in Houston's Week 1 victory over the Washington Redskins, leaving the game in the second quarter after landing awkwardly. His injury was reportedly a torn meniscus. Clowney underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on Sept. 8 and was given a recovery time of four to six weeks.
• Texans improved, but want to be better
Clowney, who did not participate in practice on Thursday, spent part of the summer recovering from hernia surgery. Before the regular season, the outside linebacker missed two preseason games and more than a week of practice because of a concussion.
O'Brien was optimistic about Clowney's recovery, and praised the linebacker's commitment to his health and preparation:
"He's been at every meeting. He's at walkthroughs, He gets extra treatment ..." O'Brien said. "He's a football player and he wants to be out on the field playing football. So he's frustrated and he's working hard to get back; he can't wait to get back.
Clowney was drafted first overall by the Texans in this year's draft. In his final season at South Carolina he recorded 40 tackles, 11.5 of them for a loss and three sacks.
• Q&A: Jadeveon Clowney gets his Madden on
O'Brien confirmed that Clowney would not take the field in Houston's Thursdaynight game against the conference rival Indianapolis Colts on October 9.
- Christopher Woody
