King Henry's return is nigh.
Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Thursday that running back Derrick Henry is "progressing well" as he ramps up ahead of Saturday's Divisional Round game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Henry has been out of commission since Week 8 after undergoing foot surgery, but is expected to be activated off injured reserve Friday and good to go for Tennessee's playoff opener this weekend.
"We'll see and make a determination on him tomorrow," Vrabel said. "Obviously, I think his workload probably increased throughout the week."
Henry was designated to return from injured reserve on Jan. 5. The Titans have 21 days to return him to the active roster, and it looks like they will do so with time to spare for their clash against the Bengals.
The running back's return can't come soon enough for some of his star teammates.
"It'll definitely give us some confidence," Titans receiver A.J. Brown said. "He's a tremendous player. In my opinion, I think he's the best running back in the game. Just having him back, having that confidence with him around, at any moment, he could go for 70. That gives us confidence. So we're excited."
Through the season's first eight games, Henry rushed for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns on 219 carries. Despite missing nine regular season games, he still finished ninth in the league in rushing yards.
Henry said Wednesday that "we'll see where I am on Saturday" when it comes to his availability versus Cincy. But if images from practice and reports out of Nashville this week are any indication, Henry will be back in the fold.
The top-seeded Titans have fared all right on the ground without Henry in the lineup, leaning on D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard to varying degrees of efficiency. Henry's return would be a boon to the backfield, but it won't necessarily mean assured victory.
"We all know what Derrick Henry can do when he's in there," left tackle Taylor Lewan said. "Adding Derrick to the mix, if that happens, is exciting. However, just because 22's in the game, it doesn't mean we're gonna automatically win."
Tennessee hosts Cincinnati at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
