Pierce (hamstring) was at practice Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Pierce, who hasn’t played since Week 1, returned to practice last Friday, and his presence at Wednesday’s session is a positive indicator with regard to his Week 6 status. While Joe Mixon (ankle) remained sidelined for the Texans’ opening practice this week, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston relays that coach DeMeco Ryans expects Pierce to be back for Sunday’s game against the Patriots. Pierce thus could potentially move into a key role in Houston’s backfield this weekend, if Mixon is unavailable versus the Patriots.