In the search for answers for why the Tennessee Titans are dealing with so many injuries this season, some fans have wondered if the coaching and training staff might be at least partly to blame.
Tennessee has seen an insane amount of injuries in 2021, leading to the team fielding an NFL record 86 players through 12 games, two more than the previous top mark.
If you’re looking for a scapegoat in all of this, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t subscribe to blaming the team’s staff, according to Mike Organ of The Tennessean.
“I’ve never suffered an injury and said, ‘That damn strength coach.’ I never said, ‘That trainer sucks.'” Vrabel said. “I know that’s not the case. Some of these things are unfortunate. Some of these injuries are just kind of a part of football.”
While Vrabel isn’t putting it all on the players, he says they bear at least some responsibility for their health. He also notes that the staff puts players in specific programs when they deal with recurring injuries.
“I use (former Titans receiver) Corey Davis as an example,” Vrabel said. “He suffered some hamstrings early on so then he was on a hamstring program. I remember Rashaan (Evans) as a young player had an issue with his groin and now he’s on a groin program that they do religiously.
“I don’t mean it’s all on the player; there’s just some responsibility that you take that your profession pretty much relies on your body and your health,” he said. “We try to coach everything that we can talking about routines and trying to find veteran players that have really good routines and look at their career. Like Kevin Byard, how has his career gone and what kind of career has he had? So that some of the young DBs may want to emulate that routine.”
The Titans will get a much-needed bye in Week 13 to rest up and get healthy, both mentally and physically. They will return to the field in Week 14 when they’ll host the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium.
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