Jaylen Reed could be making his long awaited return for the Houston Texans on Monday night.
Reed, who returned to practice for the first time since leaving in the second quarter in late November against the Indianapolis Colts, could be added to the roster before Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, thus solving a massive weakness at safety.
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“We’re excited to get Jaylen back,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said on Thursday. “We activated his window, so he started back practicing today. We’ll see how the week goes and see how he can help us.”
Safety has been a turnstile for weeks opposite second-year standout Calen Bullock. C.J. Gardner-Johnson initially was the starter before being released in Week 3 due to his role with the defense. M.J. Stewart, who suffered a quadriceps injury earlier this season, is out for the season. Houston hasn’t activated veteran defensive back Jimmie Ward yet, instead relying on former practice squad players like K’Von Wallace and Myles Bryant.
Reed, who had worked his way into a starting role, had a metal plate placed inside his forearm after making a tackle against the Colts in Week 13. Before that, he was named a starter after recording 11 tackles and a fumble recovery against the Buffalo Bills.
A sixth-round draft pick out of Penn State, Reed was a former second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection who has a hard-hitting presence. In seven games, Reed has totaled 14 tackles, a pass breakup and recovered a fumble.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Jaylen Reed injury update: Will Texans rookie DB play vs. Steelers?
