After a week off the Tennessee Titans held a rare padded practice Tuesday as they prepared for their playoff game with the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday in Nashville.
The Titans have suffered through so many injuries this season padded practices were almost unheard of the second half of the season as Mike Vrabel worked to just put a healthy team on the field. After two bye weeks and a mini-bye all since December though the Titans are healthier than they have been since opening day.
Defensive lineman Teair Tart was the only player on the injury reported limited by injury as he continues to deal with an ankle problem.
The contact Tuesday was especially important for star running back Derrick Henry who is still practicing but has not been returned to the 53 man roster yet. Henry suffered a foot injury week 8 in Indianapolis and has not played since so Tuesday was his first contact in three months.
“We will be in pads today, I think that is a good step.” Vrabel said, “We will have to have some contact. It has been a while since he has had contact. We are going to have to do these things that will come close to replicating what is going to be asked of him in a football game. We will have a week of work, see how he feels and make a decision.”
Expectation is Henry will be activated Thursday or Friday and play Saturday after three full weeks of practice. When asked how Henry has handled practice Vrabel simply said, “fine”.
The Titans went 6-2 with Henry this season and then 6-3 without him. In his 8 games this season he averaged 117 yards per game, best in the NFL for the third straight season.