Tennessee Titans training camp opened Tuesday with a press conference from coach Robert Saleh and general manager Mike Borgonzi. And out of the gates, they gave Titans fans some good news.

Right tackle JC Latham and safety Amani Hooker were both placed on the physically unable to perform list last week, but the latest from Borgonzi today suggests neither absence will linger long.

Hooker’s PUP stint, in particular, amounted to little more than a formality it seems. Because Borgonzi confirmed that the veteran safety will come off the PUP list Tuesday, meaning he will presumably not miss a single practice when the team hits the field for the first time on Wednesday. He spent less than a week on the list during a stretch when the Titans weren’t even practicing yet. Whether that designation was procedural or tied to entry physicals, I can’t say for sure. But the bottom line is it had no practical impact on his availability.

Latham’s situation is the one worth watching

Latham was the name generating real concern among fans, and for good reason. He plays a more critical position than Hooker, he is a less proven commodity, and he is entering what amounts to the most important season of his young career to establish himself as Tennessee’s long-term answer at right tackle.

We knew something was going on when Latham was present but not participating during OTAs and mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason. Now, we have some clarity. Borgonzi revealed on Tuesday that Latham has been dealing with a pec strain suffered near the end of OTAs.

“With JC, you know, he was just dealing with a pec strain that he had at the end of OTAs, but he’s been here the whole time during the summer,” Borgonzi said. “And you know, he’s probably day to day right now in terms of when he’s going to return, but he’s really worked hard. He looks great. So we’re ready to roll.”

It sounds like Latham has been at the facility rehabbing the pec and working on the rest of his body and game this summer, and that this is as much a precautionary measure to get him back to full strength as anything else. Neither Borgonzi nor Saleh put a firm timetable on his return, but the dismissive tone of their comments suggests the organization isn’t exactly losing sleep over this. They want their young tackle healthy for when the games actually matter.

This is the thing about PUP that tends to get lost in the noise every year: what matters is how long a player stays on it, not simply that he was placed on it. Some players sit there for weeks. Others are on it for what amounts to 12 seconds. Hooker fell into the latter category, and Latham’s “day to day” label from Borgonzi puts him on the short end of that spectrum too.