Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Denico Autry has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran pass rusher went down with a knee injury in Green Bay, and is expected to "miss some time," according to Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.

While the Titans believe they got lucky with the severity of Autry's injury, he's not ready to get back on the field just yet, and Tennessee is sure to feel Autry's absence in more ways than one.

#Titans rule Denico Autry out. Ben Jones still in concussion protocol but hope to see progress on that this afternoon

— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) November 25, 2022

To this point, Autry has played and shined in all of Tennessee's ten games this season. He currently has seven sacks and six tackles for loss on the 2022 season, while leading a banged up defensive front to success.

Without Harold Landry this season, and with Bud Dupree and Jeffery Simmons both missing some time with nagging injuries, the Titans defense is still top 10 in total sacks (30). The defensive front has been relentless and consistent, bringing pressure at opposing quarterbacks without bringing a blitz and getting key contributions from their roster depth.

So much of that has to do with Autry and the attention he has commanded this season.

But Autry is so much more than a dominant pass rusher for this Titans defense. After hearing from Titans players and coaches throughout the week about Autry's absence, it's clear he brings much more than what we see on the field.

Leadership

Autry brings a leadership to the Titans' defensive line that cannot go unnoticed around the organization. He is one of the hardest workers on the roster, and unselfish in his daily approach. Those that are in the building everyday have a respect and admiration for him as a teammate and leader.

"When it comes down to Denico man, everyone knows he don't get a lot of the respect that he deserves and we're gonna miss him for the time that he's out," said defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen told the media on Wednesday that Autry's production looks good on the stat sheet, but that his impact is even bigger than the numbers in a box score.

"He has been a big part of what we do," Bowen said. "The production has been there for us. He's another unselfish guy for us up front that we've asked to do things at times that aren't always to his benefit but are to the benefit of the unit. I think guys appreciate that. They understand his impact out there."

"He comes to work every day. He's in his 30's out here grinding every single day trying to get better, not really taking a whole lot of days off," Bowen continued. "The young guys on the team, to have that example and to see a guy doing it, there's no excuse."

Tennessee has always been about the next man up mentality. That mindset will once again get tested this weekend as the Titans defensive front will suit up without their leader for the first time this season.

Image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports