Texans' Jadeveon Clowney leaves practice against Broncos

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Houston Texans rookie linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was taken to the medical tent midway through a joint practice against the Denver Broncos on Wednesday morning.

Trainers removed Clowney's shoulder pads, and he pointed at the left side of his neck as he sat on a training table. Clowney remained in the tent for the remainder of practice but did not actively receive treatment from the medical staff, a sign that whatever ailment sidelined him might not be too serious.

Clowney was quickly ushered onto a bus immediately after practice ended and was not made available for interviews.

Houston head coach Bill O'Brien provided little insight to Clowney's condition, only offering that he had not seen what happened nor been advised by the team's medical staff regarding Clowney's condition.

Clowney left practice after a series of one-on-one drills against Broncos offensive linemen and walked 100 yards down the sideline with trainers while his group participated in a 9-on-7 drill against the Denver offense. Clowney may have been shaken up early in that 9-on-7 period, but he was not treated on the field.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft in May, Clowney missed time earlier this offseason after undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia in June.

He was cleared to participate when the Texans opened training camp last month and has already showed flashes of dominance in the preseason, including a crushing hit on Atlanta Falcons running back Antone Smith last week.

Clowney was equally destructive during the joint practices against the Broncos, beating Denver left tackle Ryan Clady during a two-minute drill on Tuesday and getting his hands in quarterback Peyton Manning's face to force an incompletion early Wednesday.

"I thought we were playing aggressively, and he was part of that," O'Brien said.

***

Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones