Earlier this month, offensive lineman David Quessenberry said that he felt strong as he worked to make it back on the field after his football career was halted by a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma in June 2014.
Quessenberry’s comeback effort has now been put on hold, after he was place on the reserve non-football injury list by the Houston Texans on Tuesday.
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He was waived with the non-football illness designation.
"Basically we believed David Quessenberry wasn't going to be ready from a health standpoint to adequately compete this year," head coach Bill O'Brien said after the Texans latest on-field training session on Tuesday.
"So procedurally in order to gain the roster spot, we made the decision to place him on waivers with the designation of non-football illness," O'Brien said.
"It is our hope that he will revert to reserve/NFI so he can continue to be a part of our organization, continue his recovery and fulfill his goal of playing again," O'Brien added.
Quessenberry has cleared waivers and was moved to Texans reserve/non-football injury list.
He does not count against the 90-man roster limit.
"We want him to fully attack and beat cancer, which he will do," O'Brien said. "Then get him back on the 90-man roster at some point in 2017."
Quessenberry has been in remission for a year and had been steadily regaining weight and strength in hopes of making a return to the field.
The third year player has yet to see action in an NFL game after his rookie season ended less than a week before the 2013 regular season opener when he injured his foot in practice and was placed on season-ending injured reserve.
He's missed the last two seasons while battling cancer.
The Texans drafted Quessenberry in the sixth round of the 2013 draft out of San Jose State University.