The Houston Texans' official Week 9 injury report has delivered a significant boost ahead of their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Safety Jalen Pitre appears to be nearing a return from his shoulder injury for Sunday's showdown.
Pitre made an important step toward his comeback on Wednesday. According to the team's official injury report, the safety was listed as a full participant despite dealing with a shoulder issue.
The latest update indicates that Pitre is moving in the right direction and could be available for Sunday's game against the Chargers, though his final status will become clearer as the week progresses.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans also expressed his excitement about having Pitre back on the practice field.
“Getting Jalen back, it'll be very beneficial for us, just how versatile of a player he is, how smart he is, how fast and physical he plays,” Ryans said. “He really raises the physical nature of our defense when he's out there. I was excited to get him back in action today.”
The 2022 second-round pick has been recovering from an AC joint sprain that forced him to miss Houston's previous two games. Before his absence, Pitre had recorded 24 total tackles, five pass deflections and one fumble recovery this season.
With Pitre back on the practice field as a full participant, the Texans have plenty of reason to be optimistic about welcoming an important defensive contributor back for their upcoming road matchup.
The Texans will enter Sunday's contest with a 2-5 record. Meanwhile, the Chargers are still searching for their first win of the season.