Ryan Griffin could return to practice as early as this week.
The third-year tight end suffered a sprained MCL in the season opener against Kansas City. He was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return on Sept. 15. According to league rules, that means Griffin can practice at the six-week mark and will be able to play after eight weeks.
"That puts me out about Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals for my anticipated return," Griffin said on Tuesday's Verizon Players show on Texans Radio.
Whether or not Griffin returns to practice will be determined by the coaching staff and trainers this week, he added. If he does practice, Sunday's game against Tennessee could be the last game he misses. The Texans have a bye in Week 9 before heading to Cincinnati for their Monday night matchup on Nov. 16.
"I wouldn't wish this against anybody, just sitting there in the training room, watching your team play on the road," Griffin said. "It's really rough, especially with the way we've been playing. I just really want to get out there and help the team out. I've just been biding my time and trying to get healthy."
The Texans return to practice on Wednesday. Houston will host the Tennessee Titans in Week 8 with kickoff at noon C.T. on CBS KHOU-11 and SportsRadio 610.
