Corey Davis was finally back on the field on Thursday night. Well, for warmups, at least.
The Tennessee Titans rookie receiver suited up for the traditional pregame routine for the first time this preseason after being sidelined by a hamstring injury for the bulk of camp.
Davis didn't see any game action, as coach Mike Mularkey suggested 10 days ago was a possibility, but going through the motions of a pregame warmup, catching balls from Marcus Mariota and running routes with his fellow wideouts, gave the fifth overall pick some needed peace of mind.
"It felt good, to finally get the uniform on and get a few reps in during warmups," Davis told reporters after the game, per the team's site. "But it will be better when I get to play. I am focusing on getting 100 percent healthy and getting out there."
According to Mularkey, Davis won't have to wait very long.
"It's probably me being overly cautious," Mularkey said, explaining his reasoning for sitting Davis, "but we want him for that Oakland game as well. But it was good to get him into the throwing routine with Marcus and actually get [Eric] Decker in there as well."
This assessment of Davis' readiness is in line with what NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday.
Davis and Decker, who has been dealing with an ankle, will be thrown into a brand new wide receiving corps that was paced in the preseason by another new addition, rookie Taywan Taylor. Reports from camp indicated that Decker will be used primarily in the slot, while Davis will play the role of the traditional "X" receiver.
The Titans are hoping that trio, led by Davis, can bring a needed second dimension to Tennessee's offense, which had often been too reliant on running backs and tight ends over the past two seasons. We'll get our first glimpse of the new and improved "exotic smashmouth" next Sunday.
