Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt isn't likely to appear in any preseason games for the Texans, but Watt is expected to begin practicing in the next week, according to the Texans' official website.

Watt, the No. 11 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, has been out because of a dislocated left elbow.

"I think we're very close," Kubiak said. "He's going to go to work starting tomorrow doing a lot of sled work and position-specific type stuff. He will still work with the trainers. I think we are very close to getting him on the field, and to say later this week would probably get me really excited, but I think to say that he'll be on the field next week, getting his reps with the defense, would probably be a pretty fair assessment at this point."

Last week, Watt told the media that he is "100 percent sure" that he'll play in Week 1, and it certainly looks like he will.

The Texans came out of their exhibition game against the San Francisco 49ers relatively unscathed, though Brian Cushing suffered bruised ribs. Kubiak is calling Cushing day-to-day, so the linebacker shouldn't miss any significant time because of the injury.

For the latest on the Houston Texans, be sure to check out Battle Red Blog and join the discussion.