The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON – Houston Texans starting outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was in a walking boot on his right foot and ankle Friday as he limped through the locker room, one day after getting hurt during a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Clowney has a sprained right ankle, but Texans coach Bill O’Brien said he’s expected to play next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Texans are optimistic that the injury is relatively minor for the top overall pick in last year’s draft.

Clowney was limping during the game Thursday night and got checked out by trainers. He wound up going back into the game. Clowney finished with two tackles, one for a loss, and a quarterback hit. He played 34 snaps for approximately 52 percent of the defensive snaps.

Clowney returned this season after undergoing microfracture knee surgery last December. Clowney was on the injury report with shoulder and knee injuries before the Colts game and was listed as probable.

–There’s a greater likelihood that Texans wide receiver Cecil Shorts will return next week against the Jaguars than wide receiver Nate Washington. O’Brien indicated that Shorts is further ahead from a health standpoint than Washington. Shorts has a dislocated left shoulder that didn’t require surgery. He’s out of the sling he was wearing earlier this week.

“I’m trying to get back as fast as I can,” Shorts said. “I’m trying to help the team. I don’t need surgery. It’s my first dislocation, so hopefully it’s the only one I have.”

Washington is dealing with a strained hamstring.

“I’m hopeful to get back out there,” Washington said. “I feel pretty good, but you never know. It’s a hamstring; just got to be careful.”

–O’Brien said that offensive guard Oday Aboushi is day to day with a turf toe. “He didn’t break a toe,” O’Brien said.

Tests revealed only a quadriceps contusion for cornerback A.J. Bouye, whom O’Brien said “should be fine for the Jacksonville game.”

O’Brien predicted that cornerback Johnathan Joseph (hip), backup quarterback Ryan Mallett (chest) and offensive tackle Derek Newton (neck strain) should all be available for the Jaguars game.