Derrick Henry injury update: Titans RB clears concussion protocol after hit vs. Colts, Mike Vrabel says

Jacob Camenker

•
Derrick Henry injury update: Titans RB clears concussion protocol after hit vs. Colts, Mike Vrabel says image

Derrick Henry has long been the engine powering the Titans' offense. Now, the team may have to look to hold off the Colts without him.

Henry exited the game in the fourth quarter of the Titans vs. Colts game in Week 13. It came after the veteran running back was hit by Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin following a run during which he jumped over another Colts defender.

Henry was hit high on the play and hit his head hard while going to the ground. He remained down briefly as medical personnel came to check on him.

MORE: Can Tyreek Hill break Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record?

Derrick Henry injury update

Eventually, Henry was able to leave the field under his own power. He was taken straight to the blue medical tent because of the injury.

Henry was accompanied into the tent by the independent neurotrauma consultant that the NFL has on hand at every game. That signaled that Henry was being examined for a potential concussion.

The Titans didn't immediately provide an update about Henry's status after his injury. However, he was seen heading to the locker room after his examination in the blue tent and did not return to the game.

Before leaving, Henry had racked up 101 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. He did not record a catch.

Mike Vrabel didn't provide much of an update about Henry's status after the game; he just said that the Titans "didn't know much other than he wasn't able to return" in a postgame news conference.

On Monday, however, Vrabel announced that Henry was not in the NFL's concussion protocol any longer.

"We checked on him last night, then checked on him in the morning," Vrabel told reporters.

That should put Henry on track to play in Tennessee's "Monday Night Football" game against the Dolphins in Week 14.

Titans RB depth chart

It is expected that the Titans will use rookie Tyjae Spears as their top running back in Henry's stead. Spears had totaled 251 rushing yards and a touchdown on 50 carries entering Sunday's action.

The Titans do not have another running back on their 53-man roster beyond Henry and Spears. 

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.