Texans starting defensive end Jon Greenard is expected to be limited in practice this week due to a foot injury that sidelined him Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Texans coach David Culley said that Greenard's status for Sunday's game against the New York Jets is still being determined.
DeMarcus Walker and Jacob Martin were the starting defensive ends against the Titans during a 22-13 win that snapped an eight-game losing streak. Martin had a sack and Walker had one quarterback hit. Defensive end Derek Rivers was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster as Greenard didn't travel to Nashville, Tenn. because of the foot injury.
Greenard leads the Texans with a career-high seven sacks.
Defensive end Jordan Jenkins tore his posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against the Titans and will be out for at least three weeks, according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly. Culley affirmed that Jenkins will be out at least a few weeks and said it's unclear if he will undergo surgery. A source said that surgery is not planned at this time.
Walker, who also plays defensive tackle, impressed Culley.
"He played well," Culley said. "He plays 100 percent all the time. He's always coming off the edge. He loves getting to the quarterback. He's got a nonstop motor. He's doing a lot better job of playing his gap in the run game right now, which you've got to be able to do when you play on the edge like he does because there's a responsibility there. He's been playing well for us all year."
Culley said he believes that the Texans have sufficient depth at defensive end even with Jenkins and Greenard being hurt.
"We’ve played seven or eight guys,” Culley said. “Sometimes we’ve had seven and not eight, and we still have those seven guys regardless of whether Jonathan or Jordan is ready to go, just go with the guys we’ve got.”
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