Lovie Smith: Texans rookie LB Christian Harris 'possibly' ready to play vs. Raiders

Rookie linebacker Christian Harris is poised to make his NFL debut. Texans coach Lovie Smith said the third-round pick from Alabama could “possibly” be ready to play Sunday against the Raiders in Las Vegas. Houston’s coaching staff will decide whether Harris is prepared to play by the end of the week.

Health hasn’t been Houston’s concern since Harris was designated to return Oct. 5 from a preseason hamstring injury. Smith said then Harris was “in the best shape he can be” recovering from a soft-tissue injury that sidelined him for 60 days. The question remained how swiftly Harris could understand the playbook and his responsibilities.

The Texans have chosen patience. Harris did not play in Houston’s 13-6 win in Jacksonville, the franchise’s last game before entering last week’s open date. Linebackers coach Miles Smith said it would be “bad professionally” on his part if he rushed Harris onto the field without being fully prepared to play. The team’s defensive issues largely stem from poor decision-making.

Lovie Smith continued to temper expectations on Wednesday. The third-time NFL head coach said Harris has “grown as much as you can grow without practicing,” and that it’s been a “chore” to get Harris up to speed just to play one of Houston’s three linebacker slots. “An awful lot goes into that,” Smith said. “Most people I hear say, ‘Put him out there and let him run around and make plays.’ It’s a little bit more to it. We’re trying to get him up to speed on one position.”

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