The Sports Xchange

Houston Texans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney is on schedule to play in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien said Wednesday that Clowney continues to make daily progress and should be ready for the Week 1 game on Sept. 13.

“The knee is feeling decent. We’ll keep inching him forward to get him ready to play in the first game,” O’Brien said.

“I think he’s doing well. I think we’ve got a good plan in place for him from a medical perspective … little bit more every day. He wants to be in there more, which is a great sign. It means he’s probably feeling pretty good.”

Clowney was activated from the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 17 to practice on a limited basis in his first football activity since undergoing microfracture knee surgery in December.

“I’m having fun out there now,” said Clowney, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft. “Hitting everybody. Talking junk. That’s what I do. I love it.

“I’m rusty. I’m just trying to get as many reps as I can. Tell coach to put me in as much as possible. They’re not trying to rush me back. Working me in slowly. I’ll still be trying to get as many reps as I can so I can get ready for the game.”

The Texans signed Clowney to a four-year, $22.272 million guaranteed contract last year that includes a $14.518 million signing bonus after drafting him out of South Carolina.

Clowney was limited to seven tackles in four games as a rookie, dealing with a concussion in the preseason, suffering a lateral right meniscus tear in the 2014 season opener and having arthroscopic knee surgery the next day. He attempted to return to the field in the following month.

Due to articular cartilage damage, Clowney underwent microfracture surgery on Dec. 8.

Clowney will not play in the Texans’ third preseason game Sunday against the Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

“I’ve been trusting my knee for a while,” Clowney said Wednesday. “I trust it now. I’m here to play football.”