The Tennessee Titans might have bought themselves time in the recovery of star running back Derrick Henry by securing the 2021 AFC South title Sunday.
The Titans beat the Miami Dolphins 34-3 at Nissan Stadium to clinch the AFC South and regain the top spot in the AFC entering the final week of the regular season.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel was vague Sunday when asked about Henry’s availability for next Sunday’s game at Houston (noon, CBS), but he did make clear what it would take for his running back to return to the field for the first time since suffering a foot fracture Oct. 31 against the Indianapolis Colts.
“I think the plan is always going to be, ‘Where is he at?’” Vrabel said. “And each individual player, can they do their job effectively? Can they make it worse? And can they protect themselves out there.
“It’s a violent game,” Vrabel continued. “We don’t want to put guys out there that can’t go out there and protect themselves or they can make it worse.”
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Henry has been on injured reserve since Nov. 1, one day after suffering and playing through the injury in a win against the Indianapolis Colts. He underwent surgery on Nov. 2, and since then the expectation has been that the All-Pro running back could return at the end of the regular season or the playoffs.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported earlier Sunday that Henry was jogging in cleats this week and that “he could be ready (Week 18) but they are hoping to lock up a playoff spot so they can give him more time.”
During the CBS broadcast of Sunday’s game, sideline reporter Melanie Collins said Henry had been “doing some running with no limitations.”
With a spot in the postseason clinched, there’s less pressure for the Titans to force Henry back into action. The Titans (11-5) can give Henry an additional week of recovery before a possible return by beating Houston to secure the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye.
The Titans moved into position for the No. 1 seed with Kansas City’s last-second loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.
Ben Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network. Contact him at barthur@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @benyarthur.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Titans’ Mike Vrabel said about Derrick Henry returning from injury