Johnson held out of practice after hits day before
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Texans rookie cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. was held out of practice Tuesday by coach Bill O’Brien, the fallout from two big hits that infuriated the Green Packers and got him booted out of practice the day before.
Johnson attended practice but wasn’t in pads and worked out individually.
On Monday, Johnson celebrated a crushing blow on former Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger that knocked off his helmet by flexing his muscles. That led to a brief scuffle. Johnson later posted and deleted a photo on Instagram of himself standing over a fallen Sternberger with the caption “gotta drop on this flexing,” with the hashtag “itsfootball.”
Sternberger missed Tuesday’s practice with a jaw injury and is being evaluated for concussion symptoms. Another Packers player Johnson knocked down during a kickoff return Monday, Trevor Davis, missed practice with a stinger.
Before practice Tuesday, Johnson met with O’Brien.
“I just decided to hold him out,” O’Brien said, adding that Johnson will play Thursday night in a preseason opener at Lambeau Field.
Several Packers players referenced potential consequences for the incident. Jimmy Graham said Johnson’s actions were ridiculous. Davante Adams called him a coward. And Billy Turner predicted accurately there would be fights Tuesday.
This time, Johnson had nothing to do with it as tempers boiled over again.
Packers pass rusher Za’Darius Smith briefly tangled with Texans offensive tackle Matt Kalil. Order was quickly restored and practice resumed.
Smith knocked down Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson at one point, but Watson got up unhurt.
“He’s tough,” O’Brien said. “He bounced right back up. He was fine.”
Backup QB McCarron hurts throwing hand
Texans backup quarterback A.J. McCarron injured his right throwing hand and his status is undetermined for Thursday’s preseason game.
If McCarron is unable to play, it would increase the workload for third quarterback Joe Webb. Deshaun Watson is only expected to play a series or two.
McCarron was signed to a one-year, $3 million contract this offseason to back up Watson.
Rookie RB Higdon is ‘getting better’
Rookie running back Karan Higdon, who missed time in the spring after recovering from sports hernia surgery, is making a good impression on the coaching staff.
Higdon, an undrafted free agent from Michigan, is vying for the backup running back job behind veteran starter Lamar Miller after D’Onta Foreman was released.
“I think he’s getting better,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “You know, young backs making the jump from college football. He had an injury when he got here. He rehabbed it hard during the offseason and into the summer.
“He’s come back in shape. He’s doing good. We’ll see how he performs in the games and continues to get better.”
O’Brien enjoys time with fan
Bill O’Brien had a meaningful moment Tuesday morning with a special-needs fan named Raymond who was wearing a J.J. Watt jersey.
O’Brien greeted Raymond before practice and pushed his wheelchair-bike on the way to practice.
“Tht was cool,” said O’Brien, who is active with Special Olympics in Houston. “He reminded me a lot of my son, Jack. Jack will turn 17 in a couple of weeks. (Raymond) was in an awesome bikeslash wheelchair type deal. That was a cool moment for me. I was worried I was going to crash the bike, and his mom said he would be fine. It was fun to do that.”
O’Brien’s son Jack has lissencephaly, a rare genetic condition that causes a child’s brain to develop abnormally. Most children with the condition have a life expectancy of 10 years.
Odds and ends
Defensive end J.J. Watt (groin) didn’t practice and won’t play Thursday. … Cornerback Aaron Colvin left practice early with a trainer. … Rookie tight end Kahale Warring caught a touchdown pass in a red-zone drill, marking his second score in consecutive days. … Rookie running back Damarea Crockett caught a touchdown from Deshaun Watson.