C.J. Gardner-Johnson might not be cleared for Week 1’s showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, but the Houston Texans are confident he’ll be back in enough time to avoid a stint on the injured reserve.

Texans general manager Nick Caserio said that Gardner-Johnson continues to trend upward after suffering a lower-body injury at The Greenbrier earlier this month and didn’t rule out the possibility of seeing the veteran safety being cleared before the road trip out to SoFi Stadium.

Advertisement

“He’s worked hard,” Caserio said on Wednesday after roster cutdowns. “We’ll see if he’s ready to practice here at some point. So, ‘Ceedy’ is a good player. We think he can help us. We’ll see how much progress he makes.

We’re not playing a game for 10 days, so there’s a lot of things that can happen between now and the start of the season. We’ll see how it goes. But ‘Ceedy’ is in a good spot. He’s worked really hard and made some progress. We’ll see when he’s ready to go.”

Acquired this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles, Gardner-Johnson was an anchor for the secondary en route to a Super Bowl title last season. He totaled six interceptions and 12 pass breakups.

After being carted off in West Virginia, expectations were for Gardner-Johnson to rest and heal. Since his return to Houston, he’s been working out on the sidelines, trying to get back in shape for the season-opener.

Advertisement

“C.J. is in great spirits,” Ryans said following a preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.“ He’s doing well. So we’re excited that he’ll be fine. Take some time, he’ll continue to progress and get better.”

Gardner-Johnson’s immediate status will remain worth watching leading up to the kickoff of the regular season, but the Texans have options in place of the do-it-all defensive back. For Week 1, Houston could shift veteran Jalen Pitre back to safety, move Kamari Lassiter inside in the nickel and give third-round pick Jaylin Smith reps opposite All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.

This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans GM Nick Caserio provides update on DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson