Burkhead (ribs), Valentine (knee) not spotted at start of Friday practice

It appears Rex Burkhead (ribs) won’t be available for Sunday’s game against the Texans.

With his absence at the start of Friday’s session, that should mark a full week where the running back will not be available for practice. As a result, he’ll almost certainly miss Sunday’s game. The team announced that Burkhead sustained the rib injury in the second half of Sunday's win over the Saints. Meanwhile, defensive tackle Vincent Valentine (knee) will likely join him on the sidelines, as he wasn’t spotted for the second consecutive day at the start of practice.

The good news? Right tackle Marcus Cannon was spotted. It’s not known right now if Cannon will take a DNP, as the rules for when a practice starts remain a little unclear. (There should be more clarity when the practice report is issued this afternoon.) But the sight of Cannon, who has been suffering from a concussion and an ankle issue, bode well for his chances come Sunday.