Texans quarterback Matt Schaub returned to practice on Thursday after being released from Methodist Hospital on Wednesday night.
Schaub was hospitalized Tuesday because of a bursa sac issue in his right knee.
"It was good to have him back," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "He took probably about half the reps today, feeling a lot better, and we're heading in the right direction. Like I said, we expected him to get out last night, and he did. Everything that we thought would happen today happened."
Barring any setbacks, Schaub will be in the starting lineup on Sunday against the New York Jets. Schaub has started 29 consecutive games dating back to the 2008 season.
"There is no doubt in my mind I'll be playing on Sunday," Schaub said on Thursday afternoon.
Schaub also said that he is not limited in any way and that his knee doesn't hurt when he runs or pushes off to throw. The issue, which flared up on Tuesday, will not require surgery.
"It's been something I've been battling for the duration of the season, since early on, but it just got a little worse," he said. "It's fine."
The knee complication came as a surprise to Schaub, who said he was not injured on a particular play or while lifting weights.
"Coming out of the game on Sunday against Jacksonville, it was fine, and Monday it was fine coming in to work out," he said. "It was just kind of weird Tuesday morning when I woke up, the way it was and everything. It just was out of the ordinary and I hadn't known why, so I went and got it checked out."
Backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky took the other half of the Texans' first-team reps on Thursday. Orlovsky last appeared in a regular-season game in 2008, when he started seven games for the Detroit Lions.
"We've got to make sure Dan's ready to go and get him good work, but everything looks OK," Kubiak said. "If Matt's fine tomorrow, he'll take everything tomorrow and we'll go to work."
