Only hours after ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday that Tennessee Titans star running back Derrick Henry was in the concussion protocol, head coach Mike Vrabel gave a surprising update.
#Titans Mike Vrabel said as of now Derrick Henry is not in concussion protocol.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) December 4, 2023
"We checked on him last night, then checked on him in the morning."
"King Henry" had a monster game Sunday during Tennessee's overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts, recording 102 rushing yards on 21 carries and adding 18 yards on his lone reception. Henry scored two rushing touchdowns for the second week in a row as well but left the contest in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a concussion and didn't return.
Rookie running back Tyjae Spears stepped in to record career highs in rushing attempts (16), rushing yards (75), touches (20) and yards from scrimmage (88) thanks to his four receptions for 13 yards.
According to an ESPN report, Vrabel said the three-time Pro Bowler had zero symptoms after taking the symptom score test and worked out Monday morning.
Henry hasn't been the dominant wrecking ball that NFL fans have gotten used to seeing over the last five years, but he's picked things up lately. The 2020 AP Offensive Player of the Year has gained over 100 yards from scrimmage four times in the last seven games, and five of his eight rushing scores on the season have come in the last five contests.
Sunday's effort got Henry back up to second in the league in rushing yards (841), only trailing San Francisco 49ers stud running back Christian McCaffrey in that category (1,032).
The 29-year-old's concussion update wasn't the only notable Titans news on Monday.
Tennessee fans learned that second-year punter Ryan Stonehouse will undergo season-ending surgery after suffering a leg injury in the Week 13 defeat against Indianapolis. Stonehouse was Second-Team All-Pro as a rookie last season while leading the NFL in punt yardage and yards per punt. The 24-year-old leads the league in yards per punt this season as well, averaging an identical 53.1 yards as he did in 2022.
Stonehouse had two consecutive punts blocked on Sunday, and as a result, Vrabel made a coaching change.
Following a game in which they had two straight punts blocked, the Titans change out special teams coordinators. https://t.co/VA9SwzsVL1
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 4, 2023
On defense, the team lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons for a couple of weeks, according to Vrabel, after he went down with a knee injury. Simmons is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (10) and tied for second in sacks (5.5).
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