Noel (hamstring) was spotted in full pads and a red no-contact uniform for Tuesday's practice, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Noel's presence on the field comes as a surprise, after Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported Sunday that the wideout would likely be sidelined "a few weeks" due to a hamstring issue. Nico Collins and Jayden Higgins are locked in as the top two receivers on the depth chart, but Noel could secure the No. 3 role over the likes of Xavier Hutchinson and Tank Dell (knee) if he can quickly get healthy.