Colts coach Shane Steichen said Sunday that he's hopeful for Sermon (hamstring) to return to practice next week, George Bremer of The Anderson Herald Bulletin reports.

Sermond has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during the preseason opener Aug. 11, and he missed Thursday's 27-14 win in the preseason finale against Cincinnati. Steichen's phrasing seems to indicate that the 25-year-old might return in the week immediate leading up to Indianapolis' season opener against the Texans on Sunday, Sept. 8. Sermon stretched with his teammates ahead of Sunday's practice, though he still wasn't in uniform, according to Bremer. When healthy, Sermon is considered to leading candidate to slot in as the No. 2 running back behind Jonathan Taylor. The latter's lingering injury could leave a chance for either Evan Hull or Tyler Goodson to step in behind Taylor in Week 1.