HOUSTON -- Texans coach Bill O'Brien ruled out rookie outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney for Houston's Thursday night game against the Indianapolis Colts on Oct. 9.

The Texans have ruled Jadeveon Clowney out for next Thursday night's game against the Colts. Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

"He's on pace to be back here, basically when the doctors said it would be," O'Brien said. "Four to six weeks, maybe more toward the four. We'll have to see. Obviously anything can happen. He's been at every meeting. He's at the walk-throughs. He gets extra treatment when we say you don't need to be at this meeting. He's a football player. He wants to be out on the field playing football."

Clowney, who suffered a torn meniscus during the first game of the season, had arthroscopic knee surgery Sept. 8. The injury resulted in his landing awkwardly after jumping to bat a pass, not from contact with another player.

The prognosis at the time was that he would miss four to six weeks. The Colts game falls three days after the four-week mark.

On Tuesday, the No. 1 overall draft pick spoke about his injury for the first time since his surgery. He said he hoped to be back in a "few weeks." He added that he had recently begun running and jogging.

"I keep telling guys, 'I think I'm ready, I think I'm ready,'" Clowney said Tuesday. "They're like, man, you just got injured. They're just like, 'Take it one day at a time ... you have a long career ahead of you also. Don't rush to come back one time and get hurt again.' I want my leg to be very healthy before I come back out there."

After they play the Colts, the Texans' next game will be Monday, Oct. 20, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Texans won their Week 1 contest against Washington despite losing Clowney just before halftime. They are 3-1, with Whitney Mercilus starting in Clowney's place. This weekend they travel to Arlington, Texas, to play the Dallas Cowboys.