Derrick Henry returned to practice this week, but he'll need more time before he's back on the playing field.
The Titans announced they did not activate their All-Pro back Saturday, and he will thus not play versus the Texans in Week 18. Henry was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday, which marked the beginning of a 21-day window in which he must be activated to play in the postseason.
That's been the target range for Henry, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot in Week 8 that carried a 6-10 week timetable for recovery. Henry might be back in time for Tennessee's playoff opener.
He and his teammates will all have an extra week of preparation if the Titans (11-5) beat the Texans, which would clinch the AFC's top seed and the lone bye in the conference. NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe reported there remains plenty of optimism that Henry will be back for the playoffs as he continues to ramp up his activity.
With the two-time rushing champion out this weekend, D'Onta Foreman will continue to carry the bulk of the Tennessee's backfield load. Foreman rushed for a career-high 132 yards last week and has topped 100 yards in three of the past five games. His contribution has been vital in the absence of Henry, who was in the midst of another historic campaign before going down.
Henry's total of 937 rushing yards (tallied in just eight games) still ranks sixth in the NFL this season.
