The news that the NFL’s Competition Committee is looking at the rules governing low blocks on defensive players made us think about Texans linebacker Brian Cushing, who was lost for the season due to an ACL tear suffered on just such a block.
Cushing wasn’t talking about that on Tuesday, but he was talking about his rehab and the news continues to be good on that front. Texans owner Bob McNair said a couple of weeks ago that Cushing was ahead of schedule in his recovery and the linebacker said that he’s nearing a milestone in his path back to the field.
“I’m about a week out of jogging right now. Really looking forward to that,” Cushing said, via Nick Scurfield of the team’s website. “It’s been a long, long journey and I still have a lot to go, but it just makes me cherish playing that much more.”
The Texans were decimated at inside linebacker by the end of the season, losing Darryl Sharpton and Tim Dobbins to season-ending injuries that led to Barrett Ruud starting in the playoffs after getting signed to the team in October. McNair complained about the team’s lack of depth at the spot, which raises the question of which teams McNair thinks have high-quality fifth-string linebackers while also making it clear how much better life would be in Houston if Cushing is able to answer the bell for the start of the season.