NASHVILLE – The closest running back Derrick Henry and wide receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones got to playing this preseason came when they put on their uniforms before kickoff. Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill watched the third and final exhibition game in quarantine, and several of his teammates were in the same situation.
The Tennessee Titans have wrapped the preseason with a 2-1 record after losing Saturday night at home to the Chicago Bears, 27-24, and final roster cuts are due Tuesday. Exactly how they’ll click on offense remains to be seen as they prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 12 to open the regular season.
“We’ll have to make up for lost time,” fourth-year Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel, who remains in quarantine with COVID-19, said Sunday via Zoom. “As it relates to how we feel about practice, we feel like practice is important.”
That’s where the Titans’ challenge increases. The projected offensive starters have been together for perhaps a couple periods in training camp, with Jones – a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with the Atlanta Falcons before being traded this summer – joining a jog-through drill in the final week.
Yes, Henry was the NFL’s offensive player of the year last season, when he eclipsed 2,000 yards on the ground and won a second straight league rushing title, and he was just voted the No. 4 overall player in the league by his peers. It’s true that Jones, during his first 10 NFL seasons with the Falcons, showed the ability to produce on game days often with little practice. And Brown earned his first Pro Bowl nod last year in his second pro season, playing 14 games through knee and ankle injuries.