Wednesday injuries: Brown out of practice

Defensive tackle Tony Brown is listed on the Titans’ Wednesday injury report as “did not practice.”

But Brown still managed to get his work in.

“What people didn’t see is that I was out there a full 30 minutes before anybody else came out there and got some work done. I did a whole bunch of stuff before practice even started,” Brown said. “It wasn’t a day off for me. It was just more so that I got it out of the way.”

He expects to be back on the practice field on Thursday, readying for the season opener against the Oakland Raiders.

Brown only came off the physically unable to perform list last week in time to play against the New Orleans Saints for 10 to 15 plays. He had knee surgery early in the off-season because blood and fluid from a thigh contusion had drained into the knee area.

Now, that Brown is back, it appears that for the time being, he will undergo a regimen that might not include any Wednesday practice, so as not to put undue stress on the knee.

“That’s the plan. I’m going to do what I did today on Wednesday, and be a full-go on Thursday and just keep doing everything like I’ve been doing, and I’ll be good,” Brown said.

As for the other Titans who were limited or did not practice, defensive end Jacob Ford was limited to rest his sore back. Ford said he feels good and hopes to practice on Thursday.

“Cautious would be a good word to use. I feel pretty good and I feel capable. They just want to be sure and everything,” Ford said. “It is out of my control. I just want to get as healthy as I can and get on the practice field and perform as well as I can to prove to them that I’m healthy. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’

The linebacker corps was down two players on Wednesday. Will Witherspoon was excused from practice for personal reasons (death in the family), and Jeff Fisher was uncertain exactly when he would return to practice.

Colin Allred was limited to individual work because of an ankle injury.
That left the Titans with Jamie Winborn and Rennie Curran working with middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch. Winborn is 5-11, listed the same as Tulloch, while Curran is generously listed at 5-10.

“I am 6-2, 6-3. I’ll admit it,” Winborn joked. “We’re just trying to get better right now. … Everybody has to know what’s going on, because everybody is just one play away.”

Guard Mike Otto’s injured knee kept him out of practice on Wednesday.

Leroy Harris (ankle) and Justin Gage (hand) were full participants.

Also notable is that William Hayes, who missed all of preseason with a sprained MCL in his right knee, is healthy enough to not be listed on the injury report.