The mother of Titans linebacker Will Witherspoon died suddenly this week, and he has been excused from practice as the team prepares for its regular-season opener.
“He’s going through a really tough time,” Titans coach Jeff Fisher said today. “He lost his mom Tuesday, and . . . it was sudden. It was unexpected so we got him to the airport Tuesday afternoon and communicated with him last night. As you can understand, it’s very, very difficult.”
Fisher said he told Witherspoon to decide for himself when he’s ready to return, and that Witherspoon said the Titans could count on him to be on the field Sunday against the Raiders.
“He’ll be back for the game. At that point, we’ll evaluate it,” Fisher said. “He expressed 100 percent interest and confidence in his ability to play in this game.”