When the Tennessee Titans take the field at Nissan Stadium for Thursday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys, there is a realistic chance that they will be doing so without star running back Derrick Henry.

Henry was one of 11 Titans to miss practice on Monday, and given the Titans' current position in the standings, Thursday Night's game will not impact their playoff chances. Everything will come down to Week 18 in Jacksonville, and in preparation for that, it's very possible the Titans play it safe and get Henry some rest.

#Titans RB Derrick Henry did not practice today with a hip injury. Tennessee plays on Thursday night and the result of the game has no impact on their playoff situation. Week 18 vs. JAX will determine if they're in or not.

Holding Henry out would not be surprising.

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 26, 2022

When Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the possibility of resting players last week, he was not yet ready to entertain the idea. That tone changed drastically following the Titans' loss to the Texans on Saturday, which officially made the game against Dallas inconsequential.

Vrabel said that Week 18 being for the division will "probably" change the way he looks at this week.

"We have some guys that have played a lot of football for us that are far less than 100 percent," Vrabel told the media following the game. "It is those guys that I appreciate. No matter what, they find a way to be here for this team. We will try to figure out who we have, who is available, then make some decisions."

Henry is not the only one that could take this week to rest and get healthy. DT Jeffery Simmons, RT Nicholas Petit-Frere, LB Denico Autry, S Amani Hooker, and CB Kristian Fulton were among the other players not participating in Monday's practice.

The more the merrier. Tennessee needs all hands on deck in Jacksonville to avoid falling out of the playoff picture this season. If that means conceding the game against Dallas on Thursday, so be it.

More details on the status of key Titans players will become available following Tuesday's media availability.

Image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports