With running back Derrick Henry out indefinitely following surgery to repair his injured foot, the Titans have a huge void to fill on their offense.
Henry is leading the league by far with 237 touches — 219 carries and 18 receptions. Many starting running backs won’t reach 219 carries for the entire season, let alone in eight games.
Currently, Jeremy McNichols is the only other running back on Tennessee’s 53-man roster. But the club did just sign Adrian Peterson and D’Onta Foreman to its practice squad.
Peterson appeared in all 16 games, starting 10, for the Lions last year. He recorded 604 yards with seven touchdowns, also making 12 catches for 101 yards. He has the experience of being a bell-cow back. But coming in at midseason off the street at 36, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready right away.
“I don’t know,” running back coach Tony Dews said when asked about Peterson’s availability for Week Nine, via George Robinson of the Nashville Tennessean. “I can’t answer those questions until we get out on the field. We’ll get out in practice and we’ll see what he can do and how both of those guys [Peterson and Foreman] can help us in whatever role that is. If it’s carry the ball 10 times, 15 times, 20 times, or carry it one time, I don’t know what that will be until we get out in practice and find out what we’ve got.”
The Titans play the Rams on Sunday Night Football this week.
Dews called Henry “our workhorse” but feels like the Titans are prepared to pick up the slack.
“Our entire offense is going to be hungry and want to prove that we’re still a very good offense and work within the parameters of what we do and be successful,” Dews said.