The Tennessee Titans have more injury questions heading into their Week 4 AFC South showdown against the Houston Texans, headlined by the continuing issues on the right side of the offensive line.
The Titans (0-3) battle the Texans (0-3) at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sept. 28 (noon CT, CBS). The desperation-filled battle is rookie quarterback Cam Ward’s return to Houston, just an hour outside his hometown. It will be shaded by the Titans’ need to figure out ways to protect Ward, even if injuries continue to mount in front of him.
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Houston, meanwhile, is also a season’s crux — the preseason favorite to win the AFC South suddenly seems destined for a tumble into the NFL’s bottom ranks.
Several Titans players are banged-up to some degree, though few have clear-cut designations. The team will release injury reports on Sept. 24, 25 and 26, and coach Brian Callahan will address the media on Sept. 24 and 26 with injury updates.
Here is the latest on the Titans’ injury report ahead of the upcoming game against the Texans.
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JC Latham, RT, hip
Latham has missed two weeks in a row since exiting in Week 1 with a hip strain. Callahan said on Sept. 22 that the Titans have to take a wait-and-see approach before figuring out how to proceed with his practice- and return-to-play plan. Oli Udoh and John Ojukwu have played right tackle in Latham’s absence; both have struggled with their on-field performances.
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Jarvis Brownlee Jr., CB, ankle
Brownlee was in a walking boot before the Titans’ Week 3 loss to Indianapolis, owing to an injury suffered in practice. No update has been provided on his status. With Brownlee injured, the Titans turned to Darrell Baker Jr. and Jalyn Armour-Davis.
L’Jarius Sneed, CB, knee/back
Sneed played without issue against the Colts. He has been on the injury report the entire season, though, and it won’t be a shock to see his name continue to appear in the limited participation column throughout the week.
Kevin Winston Jr., S, hamstring
Winston has yet to make his NFL debut as he’s still dealing with lingering soreness from a hamstring issue suffered early in training camp and recovering from ACL surgery last fall. The Titans have been optimistic about his progress since the beginning. If Winston doesn’t play this week, the Titans would’ve been able to place him on injured reserve to start the year without a problem.
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Kevin Zeitler, G, elbow
Zeitler didn’t play in Week 3 despite practicing throughout the week. As with Latham, Callahan said the Titans have to wait before making any injury declarations about Zeitler’s return. Veteran Blake Hance played in Zeitler’s stead against the Colts.
T’Vondre Sweat, DT, ankle
Sweat was placed on injured reserve ahead of the Colts game. The second-year defensive tackle will have to miss at least three more games before he can be elevated.
Tyjae Spears, RB, ankle
Spears remains on injured reserve. He has been on the shelf since the first week of the preseason with an ankle sprain, but in recent weeks has been spotted without his walking boot or scooter. He will not be eligible to play until Week 5, per NFL injured reserve policies.
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Tennessee Titans depth chart
QB: Cam Ward, Brandon Allen
RB: Tony Pollard, Julius Chestnut, Kalel Mullings
WR: Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Tyler Lockett, Van Jefferson, Chimere Dike, Bryce Oliver
TE: Chig Okonkwo, Gunnar Helm, David Martin-Robinson
OT: Dan Moore Jr., JC Latham, Oli Udoh
OG: Peter Skoronski, Kevin Zeitler, Blake Hance, Jackson Slater
C: Lloyd Cushenberry III, Corey Levin
DT: Jeffery Simmons, T’Vondre Sweat, Sebastian Joseph-Day, James Lynch, Shy Tuttle, C.J. Ravenell
ILB: Cody Barton, Cedric Gray, James Williams Sr., Dorian Mausi
OLB: Dre’Mont Jones, Arden Key, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Jihad Ward, Jaylen Harrell
CB: L’Jarius Sneed, Jarvis Brownlee Jr., Roger McCreary, Darrell Baker Jr., Marcus Harris, Jalyn Armour-Davis, Samuel Womack III
S: Amani Hooker, Xavier Woods, Quandre Diggs, Kevin Winston Jr., Mike Brown
S/T: Morgan Cox, Johnny Hekker, Joey Slye
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans vs Texans injury update: Latest on JC Latham, Jarvis Brownlee