Houston Texans safety Daniel Manning underwent surgery Monday for a broken left leg he suffered in a 41-7 rout of the Tennessee Titans.
Manning is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks.
"He's starting the rehab process, and we're hoping to get him back," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said, according to the Houston Chronicle. "He has an opportunity to come back this season. It's four weeks and beyond, so we'll have to see."
The Chronicle reported that Troy Nolan will start for Manning, and rookies Shiloh Keo and Brandon Harris are expected to compete for a backup role.
The news surrounding wide receiver Andre Johnson is more positive. Kubiak is confident that Johnson will return for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars after sitting out the last three games with a right hamstring injury. Fullback James Casey is also expected to play after missing two games with a strained chest muscle.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
