NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis did not make it out of the first half without suffering an injury on Sunday in Houston.

After a strip sack that turned into a touchdown for the Texans, Levis was removed from the game with an injury to his right foot.

For most Titans fans, Levis' injury was vindication for their stance during the week that the rookie QB should be shut down for the season. But it's Titans fans, not the team, that have the wrong opinion about Levis playing in Sunday's game.

---

Foot injury

Levis' preexisting injury was a high ankle sprain to his left leg. The injury he left Sunday's game in Houston with was a right foot injury – completely unrelated to the ankle he had been nursing for the last few weeks.

It's not like Levis went out on the field hindered by his ankle injury and reinjured it or made it worse. The foot is a separate injury. Injuries happen as a part of football, but that doesn't mean the Titans were in the wrong to start Levis.

Levis was vocal throughout the week about wanting to play if he was physically able. The opporuntity to get in-game reps was valuable to both him and the Titans' coaching staff. Even if playing in the game came with challenges behind Tennessee's offensive line, you can learn from the bad just as much as you can the good.

The Titans had a standard for how Levis needed to look to play. He needed to play like himself. He needed to be able to move and protect himself. After watching him in practice throughout this past week, there was no doubt in my mind that he was capable of doing those things. 

Giving Levis the start was the right decision then, and it's still the right decision now. NFL players are paid to play football. When you are healthy and capable, your job is to play football. Why play the games once you're eliminated from the playoffs if you are going to sit down every valuable player out of fear of injury? 

The offseason is right around the corner. There will be ample opportunity for Levis to get rest and get healthy in the offseason. There will not be opportunities to play in an NFL game and improve during the offseason.

If Levis was limited by his ankle and unable to play like himself, you definitely don't force him to be out there just for him to be out there. That's pointless. But if he was healthy enough to go (which he was), he needed to be out there. The foot injury is just an unfortunate, but unrelated result.

Titans close to rock bottom for the first time in over 40 years

A new low for the Titans organization.