Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota said last week that he felt “pretty good” about his chances of playing despite a sprained MCL, but that feeling proved incorrect as he missed practice during the week and the loss to the Falcons last Sunday.
Mariota was back on the practice field Wednesday and went through individual drills with the team for the first time since suffering the injury against the Dolphins in Week Six. That step forward didn’t lead to a repeat of the optimism from last week, however.
Mariota said he’s feeling better, but is “not sure” if he’ll be able to play against the Texans and made it sound like he wouldn’t be sure until later in the week.
“If I can physically just do everything that’s asked of me in the offense, if I can move around in the pocket and do things like that,” Mariota said, via the team’s website. “I feel like I am getting there. I just have to continue to test it out in practice, monitor it, use the [medical staff] here, and make a decision.”
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said that Mariota looked better as practice progressed and called the injury “a day-to-day thing.” Zach Mettenberger would start again if Mariota isn’t able to play.