Jaylen Reed could make his long-awaited return to the Houston Texans on Monday night.
Reed, who returned to practice for the first time since leaving in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts in late November, could be added to the roster ahead of Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, addressing a huge weakness at safety.
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“We’re excited to have Jalen back,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Thursday. “We activated his window, so he’s starting back in training today. We’ll see how this week goes and see how he can help us.”
Safety has been a revolving door opposite sophomore standout Calen Bullock for several weeks. CJ Gardner-Johnson was originally the starter but was released in Week 3 due to his role on defense. MJ Stewart suffered a quadriceps injury earlier this season and is out for the season. Houston has not activated veteran defensive back Jimmy Ward, instead relying on former practice squad players like K’von Wallace and Myles Bryant.
Reed had a metal plate implanted in his forearm after making a tackle in Week 13 against the Colts. Prior to that, he was named the starter after recording 11 tackles and a fumble against the Buffalo Bills.
Reed is a sixth-round draft pick out of Penn State who was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team and has a strong offensive ability. In seven games, Reid totaled 14 tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Texas Wire: Jaylen Reed injury update: Will Texans rookie DB play against Steelers?