With the season opener less than one week away, uncertainty remains about the status of starters Wade Smith and Ed Reed.
"Well, I play left guard. I'm not the decision-maker here, but if I'm ready to go and the coaches feel good, then I'll play," Smith said Tuesday.
Smith underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on August 13 to address swelling that occurred from a training camp injury. The Pro Bowler has not received word as to whether or not he will play Monday night at San Diego in the team's primetime season opener.
"It's always fun to play in a primetime game," Smith said. "They don't put just any teams in a primetime game, but however they make up the schedule, we have to line up and play games, and we have to line up and play well. That's what we plan to do."
Ed Reed practiced with the Texans for the first time on Monday after being removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Saturday. Danieal Manning's says he is prepared if Reed returns in Week 1 but is also confident playing alongside Shiloh Keo, who was the preseason starter.
"I'm super confident in Keo," Manning said. "Right now, that's what we're looking at going in. I really don't know. Of course, you guys probably know, Ed was out there. He looked pretty good moving around, but I'm confident in Keo."
After Tuesday's closed practice, Andre Johnson said that while the All-Pro safety's presence on the practice field was a good sign, only Reed knew when he would be ready to play.
"Only Ed knows that, if he's able to play," Johnson said. "I know he's real close to feeling well and whatnot, just from talking to him. Just to see him out on the field is always a positive. I don't think if he wasn't feeling good, he would not be out there. We'll just see how it goes day-by-day. He knows when he'll be ready. Hopefully, it will be Monday night."
