Green Growing?: Texans First-Round Pick Returns To Practice
HOUSTON - - Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith told SiriusXM Radio that rookie offensive lineman Kenyon Green would slowly be working his way back into the practice. That began Wednesday the team’s prep for their second preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Green returned to practice for the first time in two weeks and immediately began working with the third-team offense. Drafted 15th overall out of Texas A&M, the two-time All-American is expected to be a focal point of the Texans’ offensive line, though Smith is easing him back into a starting role.
“Eventually we'll get him out there,” Smith said Wednesday following practice. “The biggest thing was to get him back into the mix.”
Initially, it was thought Green missed the past several weeks due to a lingering knee injury he suffered in college. Instead, Smith told radio host Alex Marvez that the rookie had sustained a concussion at one point during the early days of camp.
When asked why he didn’t initially speak of the diagnosis, Smith said it didn’t cross his mind to discuss of the severity of Green’s status.
“When a player had an injury back then in training camp, I didn't go into detail on any of the injuries then,” Smith said. “Now they're a little bit closer, I'm going into detail a little bit more. That's how we're going to handle it throughout.”
Best known for his ability as a run blocker during his three seasons at Texas A&M, the Texans are banking on Green to be a vital piece of the improved run game. Last season, Houston finished a league-low 3.4 yards per carry.
To strengthen its rushing attack, Houston added former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman A.J. Cann and Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack in free agency. In the draft along with Green, the Texans used a fourth-round pick on Florida running back Dameon Pierce.
The expectation is that Green will start at left guard next to Pro Bowl tackle Laremy Tunsil for the foreseeable future. Green was working with the first-team offense prior to his concussion and could be back in the lineup Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Smith said the Texans aren’t planning on rushing any player back from injury, meaning it seems unlikely that Green will play Friday evening at SoFi Stadium.
“We've really taken our time with him,” Smith said. “We make sure a guy is really ready to go, where there's no symptoms before we put him on the football field.”
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