Texans tight end Dalton Schultz to miss Broncos game

Texans veteran tight end Dalton Schultz hasn’t practiced all week and is set to miss Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Schultz is one of Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud’s favorite downfield targets. He got hurt last Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, catching one pass for two yards. He has caught 40 passes for 455 yards and five touchdowns this season.

With Schultz sidelined, Brevin Jordan will be the primary replacement along with Eric Saubert. They can also elevate tight end-fullback Dalton Keene from the practice squad.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday, returned to practice Friday, an encouraging sign as he works his way back from an elbow injury.

Meanwhile, rookie wide receiver Tank Dell has practiced two days in a row after missing practice Wednesday with a minor calf injury, a diagnosis confirmed by a magnetic resonance imaging exam.

“We expect him to be okay,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday.

A third-round draft pick from the University of Houston, Dell has caught 47 passes for 709 yards and a franchise rookie record seven touchdowns. He’s on pace to finish the season with 73 catches, 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“They’re grinding, they’re out there,” offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said of Dell and wide receiver Noah Brown. “They’re putting their best foot forward doing everything they can to make sure that they’re 1,000 percent ready to go on Sunday and we can use them some way.”

Meanwhile, veteran safety and team captain Jimmie Ward is back from a hamstring injury after missing consecutive practices. He’s set to start Sunday next to safety Jalen Pitre.

Defensive tackle Maliek Collins (personal reasons) returned to practice Thursday along with offensive tackles Laremy Tunsil (knee) and George Fant (hip).

Brown returned to practice Wednesday after missing the past two games with a knee contusion. He has caught 21 passes for 439 yards and one touchdown, averaging 20.9 yards per catch. He had a career-high 172 yards on seven catches against the Cincinnati Bengals in his last game before being sidelined. He caught six passes for 153 yards and one score against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was limited.

Linebacker Jake Hansen (hand surgery, hamstring) participated fully Thursday.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud participated fully with a thigh injury Wednesday and Thursday.

Aaron Wilson is a contributor to Sports Talk 790.