Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was released from a Houston area hospital on Thursday morning after spending two nights being treated for a viral infection.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that Texans head coach Gary Kubiak expects Cushing to attend the Texans' practice on Thursday afternoon, but was unclear if Cushing would participate. Cushing practicing seems unlikely, and McClained warned: "Don’t expect him to play in Saturday’s preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers," although the Texans have yet to officially comment.
Cushing was admitted on Tuesday with what Kubiak described as a "flu-like virus." His position at starting inside linebacker has been filled by Mister Alexander, a third-year backup out of Florida State.
Kubiak told the Chronicle on Wednesday that Cushing's involvement against the Panthers would be determined by the amount of time - if any - he could practice Thursday.
"I would hope so," he said. "We’re not going to do a whole lot in the morning. We’re going to come out in shorts, and we’re just kind of preparing for Carolina now, freshen them back up untill Saturday. If Brian’s feeling good, I’d like to see him get his work in. As you can tell, I think he’s going to be fine. If he misses tomorrow, then we’ll have to reevaluate where we’re at."
Fore more on the Houston Texans, check out Battle Red Blog and SB Nation's NFL page.