Lions tight end Eric Ebron is expected to start practicing this week, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). If he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he’ll play on Sunday against the Texans. 
Ebron has been dealing with knee and ankle injuries which have hampered him throughout the season. After playing in the Lions’ first four games, Ebron was shut down to avoid further damage. In those four weeks of action, Ebron caught 18 of 25 targets for 210 yards and one touchdown.
The former first-round pick had 47 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns in 2015, which were all career highs. This year, with Calvin Johnson out of the picture, Detroit was banking on Ebron taking on an even larger role. Once he’s healthy, we’re expecting to see Matthew Stafford throw plenty of passes in his direction.
Right now, free agent pickup Marvin Jones stands as the team’s leading receiver with 33 catches for 623 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also averaging an eye-popping 18.9 yards per catch. Jones may see less targets with Ebron on the field, but the tight end’s presence should also ease the defensive pressure on him.
The Lions are 4-3 heading into Sunday’s game at Houston.