Texans Pro Bowl runner Joe Mixon returns to practice from ankle injury, Nico Collins practices, trending toward playing

HOUSTON – Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon returned to practice Friday morning after being sidelined for the past two weeks with a sprained ankle suffered against the Chicago Bears.

Mixon’s return, should he continue on this trend and play against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, should provide a boost to a running game that struggled against the Minnesota Vikings with just 38 rushing yards on 19 carries.

Backup running back Dameon Pierce remains sidelined with a strained hamstring and is expected to miss his second consecutive game.

Wide receiver Nico Collins returned to practice after being limited Thursday with a hamstring injury. Collins is trending toward playing Sunday, barring any setbacks, per sources.

Collins leads the NFL with 338 receiving yards on 18 receptions and 28 targets, averaging 18.8 yards per catch with one touchdown after signing a three-year, $75 million maximum value deal this offseason.

Wide receiver Tank Dell (bruised ribs) remains out of practice and is not expected to play against the Jaguars, per sources.

Texans starting safety Jimmie Ward didn’t practice for the second day in a row due to a groin injury and he is a question mark for Sunday’s game. If Ward can’t play, the Texans will lean on rookie Calen Bullock and veteran Eric Murray as well as nickel-safety Jalen Pitre.

Cam Akers rushed for just 21 yards on nine carries for a 2.3 average per run as he started against the Vikings.

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Mixon injured his ankle on a hit from Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards that drew a $16,883 fine from the league for an illegal hip drop tackle.

Mixon’s injury was never regarded as a long-term issue, but he was sidelined against the Vikings due to a lack of ability to cut at optimal levels due to the ankle injury, according to league sources.

Dell’s injuries aren’t regarded as long-term issues, but he is dealing with a lot of soreness, per sources.

“Yeah, Tank will be day-to-day,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We’ll see how he continues to progress.”

Dell wasn’t available for comment after the game due to his injured status. He didn’t have a wrap or brace on his hand in the locker room after the game.

Dell caught a season-high five passes for 62 yards on six targets in the Texans’ 34-7 loss, their first of the season.

He was injured late in the game and didn’t return with the game out of reach.

“No, not no concern from me. Injuries can happen at any given time,” Ryans said when asked about the timing of the injury with the outcome of the game decided. “What if the injury happened first play of the game? Should he be out there? We can’t control when injuries happen. Guys are going to go play.

“That’s part of our game. Part of the nature of the business. When you play this game, unfortunately, injuries happen. Nobody can predict when injuries happen or when a guy should be in, shouldn’t be in.”

After the game, Ryans downplayed the severity of the injury sustained by the former third-round draft pick from the University of Houston.

“Yeah, we’ll see how Tank goes throughout the week, but he should be fine,” Ryans said.

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Dell entered Sunday with four receptions for 37 yards through two games. He caught one pass for minus-three yards on four targets in a win last week over the Bears,

Dell caught 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games as a rookie last season before he broke his fibula.

With Dell likely sidelined, the Texans have a lot of depth at a position that includes Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Robert Woods and John Metchie III.

“It is hard to say, we haven’t had to deal with that this year, but we have other guys that are well-equipped,’ Stroud said. “But we love one of the best receivers in the league to be out there. Sadly, in this league, it is always next man up. We have to find a way to win a football game. We are praying for Tank, hope he is okay, and we know that hopefully he is treading up. But whatever happens. We have to be able to try to win.”

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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.