Initially floated last month, the prospect of Derrick Henry coming back for the playoffs is moving closer to reality. Henry returning for the Titans‘ first postseason game is the plan, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes. Once thought to be out for the season, Henry has recovered well enough, per Rapoport, that the Titans would consider bringing him back for Week 18 — should the team need a win to reach the playoffs. Henry has been out since Week 8, when he suffered a Jones fracture in his foot. This would obviously be a tremendous development for the Titans, who have not been the same without the two-time reigning rushing champion. Henry’s 937 rushing yards still rank fifth in the NFL, despite the dominant back having missed the past six games. Henry underwent surgery Nov. 2.
Here is the latest from the AFC:
- Although Baker Mayfield missed Monday’s game due to a positive COVID-19 test, the Browns quarterback has played through multiple injuries in the previous several weeks. The former No. 1 overall pick will, however, need offseason surgery and will be forced to wear a harness on his injured left shoulder the rest of this season, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. Mayfield suffered a fractured shoulder bone in October. While some of Mayfield’s other injuries — of the knee and heel variety — have improved, the shoulder problem is unlikely to be in the rear-view mirror until after his 2022 surgery.
- The Jets may be without their head coach in Week 16. Robert Saleh tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Tight ends coach Ron Middleton would step in as acting head coach if Saleh remains sidelined on Sunday, when the Jets face the Jaguars.
- Mekhi Becton has yet to resume practicing, with Saleh indicating earlier this week he had “no update” on his left tackle. Out with a dislocated kneecap he sustained in Week 1, Becton has yet to resume practicing. The Jets shutting down their left tackle would be wise here, Cimini writes. Two years remain on the 370-pound blocker’s contract, with a 2024 option included, but availability has become a concern for the 2020 first-rounder. Becton missed some time last season, and the Jets have previously levied discipline over his weight.
- First-year Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm has attracted interest from a high-profile college program. Oregon is pursuing the NFL assistant, ESPN.com’s Adam Rittenberg tweets. Promoted after two years as the Steelers’ assistant O-line coach, Klemm has only been an NFL assistant for three seasons. He worked as a college staffer previously, ending that run as a UCLA associate head coach. Oregon is assembling a new staff under recently hired HC Dan Lanning.
i thought that mayfield news was common knowledge by now lol
has saleh been serviceable?
At this point, Henry and Mayfield’s future seasons need to be weighed against their current season prospects. Yes, both players are essential for their teams, but if you rush them back, you need to absolutely guarantee that you are going to a Super Bowl. Otherwise, you are likely sacrificing future effectiveness for a few more games that you may or may not win to begin with.
This is especially true for Henry, who has carried Tennessee the last couple of years. Don’t rush him back if he’s anything at all less than 110%. Just because a player is healthy enough to play does not mean he’s actually healthy, and in the case of a big back like Henry, an injury can linger on and hamper his future efforts.
Well the league is so stacked this year that the Titans won’t be able to even close to guarantee a championship but there’s no way they win without Henry. Foreman has been pretty good, but that won’t do against good rush defenses like the Patriots and Colts.
On the other hand, I was in favor of shutting Mayfield down right when he tore his labrum – you have a very good point and I do believe this could potentially limit his future effectiveness. Assuming he’s active for these last few games though, he DOES have a lot to prove and next year may be his last year with the Browns if he doesn’t step it up. Here’s my proposal right now: play him this game, and if they lose, shut him down so he can be 100% next season in a hopefully Super Bowl-contending season.
I agree with all of that. My stance with Henry is that I would consider very strongly not bringing him this year. Tennessee is also missing A.J. Brown and some line help, so they may be banking on that giving them an additional boost, which I do see as relevant. Unless that championship play is guaranteed (I don’t believe that it is), I would not rush him back. You are correct that he is the workhorse for that team, but that makes it even more critical I think that he is 110% in returning. Good post.
I’m figuring Klein may opt for the Ducks rather than continue with the “project” he has in Pittsburgh. I can’t remember a more useless O-line in Steelers history and have lost count of how many times that Najee has received the ball at the same time a defender hits him. Worse, there have been few signs of progress.
I would advise Adrian Klemm to take the Oregon job. Now.
Steelers need to get Munchak back. Best way to lure him is to make him head coach.
Agree but since it won’t happen, they need to make him offers he can’t refuse. And they need to spend on O-linemen this off season or the selection of Najee will have been a complete waste. This poor kid can’t have a long shelf life if he’s going to take these kinds of hits behind the line of scrimmage week in and week out. Incredible to draft a stud running back and trot him out there under these circumstances