Texans veteran wide receiver Anthony Miller returned to practice Monday, an encouraging development after he suffered a dislocated right shoulder during the preseason against the Green Bay Packers.
Miller gives the Texans a reliable slot wide receiver who can also line up outside when needed while working in tandem with Brandin Cooks and Chris Conley.
The former Chicago Bears second-round draft pick didn't sustain any structural damage when he suffered a slightly dislocation of his right shoulder and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam after the injury, according to league sources not authorized to speak publicly.
“It’s good," Conley said after practice. "It’s good to have him back. We’ve missed him for a few weeks, and he’s been out there working on getting back on the field and keeping up in the classroom.
"But to have a dynamic guy like that on the field, it changes things. You can see what happens when Brandin Cooks is on the field, you add another shifty, fast-speed guy on the field, it opens up what we can do.”
Miller. previously underwent surgeries on his left shoulder while playing for the Bears after experiencing dislocations.
Traded to the Texans along with a 2022 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round draft pick the day before players reported to training camp, Miller is entering the final year of his four-year, $5.353 million rookie contract that includes a $1.21 million base salary this season.
Miller was linked to multiple trade rumors throughout the offseason after catching 134 career passes for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns during his time with the Bears before being traded to the Texans.
After catching seven touchdowns as a rookie, Miller combined for just four touchdowns over the past two seasons.
Miller caught two passes for 15 yards on three targets before getting hurt.
Veteran starting defensive end Whitney Mercilus returned to practice after sustaining a Grade 1 hamstring strain against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mercilus was sidelined last week during practice.
Meanwhile, backup defensive end Jonathan Greenard returned to practice from a sprained ankle suffered against Green Bay.
Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil practiced in his second week back after being activated from the COVID-19 reserve list.
Right tackle Marcus Cannon, activated last week from the physically unable to perform list from offseason arthroscopic knee surgery and a strained calf, is practicing. Texans coach David Culley was noncommittal on Cannon's availability, saying Monday that Cannon will be limited in practice this week.
Aaron Wilson has covered the NFL for 20 seasons, including the Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has previously written for The Houston Chronicle and The Baltimore Sun. He’s on Twitter: @AaronWilson_NFL and Instagram: @aaronwilson7128.
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