Texans WR Johnson on track for return

Houston, TX – A full participant in practice this week, star Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson is on track to play for the first time in almost two months.

As expected, Johnson will be in uniform Sunday for Houston's road game against Jacksonville.

He has missed six straight games since injuring his hamstring in a Week 4 game against Pittsburgh.

"It's been good for the team just to have him back out here," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said Friday. "I can see how hungry he is to get back to being a part of what's going on.

"He's practiced good this week. You all know what Andre means to this team and for him to be putting the uniform on again on Sunday, he hasn't done it in a while, so it will mean a lot to the team."

The Texans, coming off a bye, lead Tennessee by two games for first place in the AFC South but will rely on backup quarterback Matt Leinart for the time being after starter Matt Schaub (foot) went on injured reserve.

Leinart hasn't started a game since 2009 with the Arizona Cardinals, but Kubiak said the former USC star has looked "confident" in practice.

"Boy, he practiced clean today," the coach said. "I just know he's excited to play. I'm sure he'll be going 100 miles an hour. I'll have to calm him down and just get him to play a good 3 1/2 hour football game."

Johnson, who had surgery two days after he was injured, had 25 catches for 352 yards and two touchdowns in the first four games this season and has scored 52 touchdowns with 9,516 receiving yards since 2003.

The Texans have won four games in a row, improving to 4-2 since Johnson went down.