Houston Texans linebacker Brian Cushingjoined teammates in 7-on-7 drills last week for the first time since tearing his ACL last October.
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Cushing insists his knee is back to pre-injury form, which matches what NFL.com's Ian Rapoport is hearing at Texans training camp.
"He's ready now," a source who sees Cushing regularly told Rapoport. "He has no soreness, he accelerates, he can run."
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips also confirmed that everything is copacetic with Cushing's knee so far.
"He looks good," Phillips said. "You can tell he can still really run. That's the first thing you look for."
The importance of a fully healthy Cushing cannot be overstated. The Texans' defense allowed 25-plus points in five of the last 11 regular-season games following the linebacker's injury last year. The Denver Broncos were the only team to top 17 points against the Texans in the five games Cushing started.
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