NASHVILLE, Tenn. ⏤ Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said he wanted RB Derrick Henry to work with live contact in practice in his Tuesday press conference.

"We will have to have some contact," Vrabel said. "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."

About an hour later, that's exactly what the Titans did.

Henry, who hasn't played since Oct. 31 because of a foot injury, saw contact on every one of his reps during the individual portion of Tuesday's padded practice.

Ball-security drill? Contact. Pass-catching drill? Contact. Footwork drill? Contact.

The contact was courtesy of DL Larrell Murchison, LB Jayon Brown and S Matthias Farley, who followed Henry everywhere he went.

Larrell Murchison, Matthias Farley, and Jayon Brown followed Derrick Henry throughout the entire individual period of practice.

They helped him get live contact, which Mike Vrabel said Henry would need. #Titanspic.twitter.com/asNd0Ed80l

— Luke Worsham (@luke_worsham) January 18, 2022

That members of that trio probably wish they had been given a different responsibility during practice, as Henry ended each drill with a bang.

At one point, Murchison joked loudly that Henry was finishing his runs with more aggressiveness than he expected.

Running through contact was the next step for Henry as he gears up for his return to play, and he navigated it well.

"I think he's been progressing well," offensive coordinator Todd Downing said. "He's certainly done everything we've asked him to do."

Tuesday also marked the start of Henry's third week of practice since being designated to return from injured reserve, and he's yet to show any signs of being hampered by his injury.

At this point, it would be a massive surprise if Henry doesn't suit up for and play a significant role in the Titans' first playoff game on Saturday.

Cover image: George Walker IV/The Tennessean