Broken finger not expected to keep rookie offensive lineman Tytus Howard out of Week 1

Drafted to be the Texans' left tackle of the future, Tytus Howard has since been moved to left guard (with Matt Kalil winning the left-edge job) and Howard now has a broken a finger. 

The rookie suffered the break in Houston’s preseason game against Detroit on Saturday night, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Coming from a Division I-FCS program, and tasked with learning one of the most difficult positions in the NFL, Howard needs all the reps he can get early on in his career. 

But this injury is not expected to keep him out of the Texans’ Week 1 game against the Saints, Wilson adds. Howard is in line to be the team’s starting left guard. This injury, in theory, could force the team to adjust those plans.

Here is the latest from the AFC South, shifting to perhaps the division’s most important player:

• Colts coach Frank Reich does not want to wait much longer on QB Andrew Luck‘s recovery. Reich wants to name his Week 1 starter after the team’s third preseason game, and while Luck doing pre-game drills recently was a positive development, this saga may not wrap up in a week. It has been the side-to-side movements that have bothered Luck’s ankle and calf injuries, reports Mike Wells of ESPN.com. But Luck not only did some lateral-movement work before Saturday’s game, Wells adds the 29-year-old passer has done workouts like that in private in recent days. The Colts, who will re-evaluate Luck mid-week, are cautiously optimistic he will be available for Week 1.
• Another AFC South talent is uncertain for Week 1, but receiver Marqise Lee returned to Jaguars practice this week. This obviously increases Lee's chances for being available come September. Coach Doug Marrone expressed doubt about this recently, but Lee — sidelined throughout 2018 due to ACL damage — returned to work Saturday.
• The Colts‘ injury situation at receiver has helped one of their incumbents. Once thought to be a bubble player, Chester Rogers is headed back to Indy’s 53-man roster. The former Ryan Grigson-era draft choice is the Colts’ top return man, Reich said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, on Twitter). Parris Campbell remains sidelined because of a hamstring injury, Erickson tweets.
• Indianapolis’ revamped receiving corps will not include Reece Fountain. Reich confirmed the 2018 fifth-rounder underwent ankle surgery Friday and will miss the season (Twitter links via CBS4’s Mike Chappell).
• The Titans are still deciding on their right guard. While veteran utility man Kevin Pamphile would seemingly have the inside track to start opposite Rodger Saffold, the team drafted Nate Davis in Round 3 and has 2017 sixth-rounder Corey Levin. Although Pamphile started opposite Saffold on Saturday, each of these players are in the mix. Former Dolphins draftee Jamil Douglas may be in the running as well. Titans Coach Mike Vrabel does not plan to name a starter until after the Titans’ dress-rehearsal preseason game next weekend, Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com notes. Douglas has not played in a game since 2016; Levin suited up for all 16 Titans games last season. An injury limited Pamphile to three games (two starts) in 2018.