How the Tennessee Titans will monitor A.J. Brown's progress in return
NASHVILLE — After falling in Week 15 to the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1), the Tennessee Titans (9-5) got some good news. The team designated star wide receiver A.J. Brown as ready to return to practice on Monday. Tennessee placed Brown on Injured Reserve before their Week 12 loss against the New England Patriots. The Titans have a […]
NASHVILLE — After falling in Week 15 to the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1), the Tennessee Titans (9-5) got some good news. The team designated star wide receiver A.J. Brown as ready to return to practice on Monday.
Tennessee placed Brown on Injured Reserve before their Week 12 loss against the New England Patriots.
The Titans have a short turnaround in Week 16, hosting the San Francisco 49ers (8-6) on Thursday Night Football. The 49ers enter this game having won five of their last six and averaging 29.16 points per contest. Tennessee has not scored more than 29 points since their Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Brown's availability at any point in the next three weeks of the Titans regular season could make all the difference in the world.
Can A.J. Brown play against the 49ers?
Tennessee can activate Brown to the 53-man roster at any point in the next 21 days.
While the team is optimistic about the third-year receiver's progress, bringing him back on a short week is in question at this point. In the cases of other injured stars Julio Jones and Bud Dupree, the Titans coaches and training staff have used the three days of practice in a normal work week to evaluate each player's progress.
The difference between Thursday and Sunday might not feel substantial. Health is something Mike Vrabel's team simply cannot afford to gamble with.
"We will see where everybody is today," Vrabel said of Brown on Monday morning. "These guys are filing in here today. Hopefully the guys that weren’t able to play can help us this week in some capacity and the guys that are eligible to return from IR, we can make a decision on them."
Tennessee sure could use their top wide out.
Jones continued his season-long injury frustrations in the loss at Pittsburgh and was ruled out for the second half with a hamstring issue. Brown is unquestionably the best hope the Titans have right now of reclaiming some sense of normalcy. The offense without Derrick Henry has found success rushing the ball (135.17 rushing yards per game since Week 8), but the passing attack has languished. Brown's return, whenever it comes, will not solve all of Tennessee's ills.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill just needs a consistently reliable target at this point.
Brown, too, will have something to prove this season. Though he makes the Titans much more of a threat, Brown leads the team in on-target passes dropped in 2021 (7). Jones, running back Dontrell Hilliard and tight end Anthony Firkser are all tied for second in that category with three each.
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