Derrick Henry not listed on Titans final injury report; will play Week 1

Derrick Henry is not listed on the Tennessee Titans’ final Week 1 injury report.

The Tennessee Titans have released their final injury report for Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, and running back Derrick Henry is not on it.

There were just three names listed on the Titans’ injury report: right guard Kevin Pamphile (knee, questionable), right tackle Jack Conklin (knee, will play) and outside linebacker Reggie Gilbert (knee, out).

While this doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see Henry ready to go, it’s nice to have confirmation that the Alabama product will suit up. Henry suffered a strained calf muscle on the first day of training camp and didn’t play a single preseason snap.

But the news has been good since before Preseason Week 3. Henry slowly ramped up his practice participation in recent weeks and all signs pointed to him being ready for Week 1. Henry didn’t make a single appearance on the injury report this week.

Earlier this week, Henry said he’d be ready to go for Week 1, also.

Will Derrick Henry be eased in?

The question now becomes: will Henry be eased into action after having missed so much time?

That remains to be seen, but there is no reason to suspect that will happen. After all, Henry always keeps himself in great shape, so if he’s out there, expect him to carry the load for the Titans against the Browns.

On the surface, the matchup seems to be a favorable one. The Browns allowed the fifth-most rushing yards per game in 2018, although they did add Sheldon Richardson to the defensive line during the offseason.

Henry exploded onto the scene in 2018 in the last four weeks, after he totaled 585 yards and seven touchdowns from Week 14 through Week 17. That four-game span helped propel Henry to his first 1,000-yard season in the NFL.

The Titans will hope Henry can pickup where he left off, but that will only be possible if the team gives Henry a full workload. As we’ve seen in the past, Henry isn’t as effective on limited touches and he really needs consistent carries to get going.

If there is one concern remaining, it’s the status of Pamphile. If the Titans’ starting right guard can’t go, it would be a downgrade for Henry, but not enough to keep him out of lineups.