HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans have placed cornerback Gareon Conley on injured reserve to start the season, the team announced on Monday.
Conley, who had right ankle surgery during the offseason, started training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Due to the new injured reserve rules this season, Conley is eligible to return to the active roster after just three games. In the past, players were required to miss a minimum of eight games once put on the injured reserve list.
Conley was listed as a starting cornerback on the Texans' unofficial depth chart for Week 1, although he struggled in training camp and missed practices after coming off the PUP list. Cornerback Lonnie Johnson, a second-round pick in 2019, had a strong camp and looked like he was pushing for a starting role.
While Conley is on injured reserve, Johnson and Bradley Roby are likely to start on the outside, with Vernon Hargreaves or 2020 fourth-round pick John Reid in the slot.
The Texans traded for Conley last season, sending a third-round pick to the Raiders. In eight games in Houston, he had 11 passes defended and 27 tackles.
Houston also placed wide receiver Isaiah Coulter, a 2020 fifth-round pick out of Rhode Island, on injured reserve.
