Tyrod Taylor to return to Houston Texans practice this week as QB 'getting closer' to playing

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Houston Texans quarterback Tyrod Taylor will return to practice this week, coach David Culley said after his team's 31-5 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Taylor has been on injured reserve since he injured his left hamstring in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns. Culley said he feels Taylor is "a lot further along now and he's getting closer" to playing, and that the team will know more about the veteran quarterback's status Wednesday.

Culley said he wants to "make sure that when [Taylor is] running around back there that there's nothing hampering him from being the kind of player that he is, using his legs."

"And if there's nothing there, then we feel good about going and playing with him. But the only way we're going to find that out is by practicing him."

The Texans won their season opener and were tied with the Browns at halftime when Taylor had to leave the game with the injury. He was replaced by Davis Mills, a third-round pick in this year's draft.

In 5 1/2 games (four starts), Mills has competed 63.3% of his passes for 912 yards, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Texans have not scored a touchdown on the road since Week 2 and have been outscored 102-8 in their last three road games.

Taylor is still on injured reserve, and the Texans would need to active his 21-day window for him to return to practice this week. A week ago, Culley said the Texans "won't just bring [Taylor] back and throw him into the game."

"He will have to have some practice time and we'll treat him that way just like the other guys who have been out," Culley said last week.

Culley has said multiple times that Taylor will be the Texans' starter when healthy and that he doesn't believe in players losing their jobs because of an injury.

"[Taylor] gives us the best chance to win," Culley said earlier in the month. "He's our starting quarterback. He was our starting quarterback when he went down, he was doing an excellent job, and when he comes back, he will still be our starting quarterback."

Before he was hurt, Taylor had completed 70.5% of his passes for 416 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.