Kalil (knee) is making progress after missing last season due to a knee injury, but Houston's coaches are anxious to see him perform against the Packers next week, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Kalil has been working for the Texans since March and is in the mix at left tackle along Julien Davenport, but he's missed a lot of football the last three years. Injuries to his hip and knee limited him to 30 of 48 games from 2016 to 2018. Head coach Bill O'Brien may want to see him against opponents, but the coach also understands the tackle gets a good workout against his own team. "We've got a good front," Bill O'Brien said. "When you're blocking (Whitney) Mercilus and (J.J.) Watt, those guys can rush the passer. He (Kalil) works hard. He's athletic and very smart. He's played a lot of football in this league, and he's picked up our offense real well. He's doing a good job." The Texans are looking for significant improvement on the offensive line in 2019; that unit allowed a league-high 62 sacks in 2018.