Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill gives injury update, status for Sunday vs Chiefs
For Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, the decision about whether he'll try to play this week comes down to a matter of pain tolerance.
Tannehill missed his first start in 50 games last week in the Titans' win over the Houston Texans, nursing an ankle injury he aggravated the week prior in a win over the Indianapolis Colts.
With the Titans (5-2) visiting the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) on Sunday (7:20 p.m., NBC), Tannehill's status is still uncertain but the veteran quarterback is going to try to test the ankle in practice to prepare as if he'll be able to play.
"The pain is going to be there," Tannehill said Wednesday. "That’s just kind of where we’re at with it. With the nature of the injury it kind of is there. So it’s going to be a matter of if I can do my job."
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Tannehill said he expected to return to practice Wednesday but did not participate in any of the individual or position drills during the media viewing session at the beginning of practice. He said his goal in practice this week is to prove he can do his job effectively, which he defined as being able to move around in the pocket, protect himself and "not be a statue back there."
Without Tannehill, the Titans turned to rookie Malik Willis against the Texans. Willis only attempted 10 passes, completing six for 55 yards with an interception. Tannehill said he watched the game from home, surprising his children every time he yelled at the TV screen.
Willis and practice squad quarterback Logan Woodside are the only other quarterbacks on the Titans' roster beyond Tannehill. Tannehill said he's been able to rehab with the athletic training staff before returning to practice, getting treatment on the ankle and doing movement exercises to try to strengthen it as best he can.
Tannehill said being able to rest the injured ankle last week was the most important thing, but now his goal is to gauge how much he can work through the pain.
"We’ll see how it goes," Tannehill said. "I’m going to take some reps today. We’ll start there and move forward."
Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill injury update on ankle vs Chiefs
