Titans Defense Suffers Major Blow Before Bears Game

The Tennessee Titans will be without two key defenders against the Chicago Bears.

Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Jamal Adams (33) during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are set to make their 2024 debut against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but two players in particular will have to wait one more week.

According to ESPN insider Turron Davenport, the Titans have ruled out linebacker Otis Reese IV (concussion) and defensive back Jamal Adams (hip) from Sunday's game against the Bears.

Reese, 26, suffered a concussion in the preseason a few weeks back against the Seattle Seahawks and has slowly made progress towards returning. However, he has yet to fully clear the NFL's concussion protocol and he's been limited in practice throughout the week. There's some optimism that Reese will be able to play next week against the New York Jets.

With Reese out, linebackers Ernest Jones IV, Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Gibbens will see a bulk of the snaps. It's also possible that the team elevates a linebacker from the practice squad. That could end up being Luke Gifford, who was cut earlier this week but re-signed with the practice squad.

Adams has been the only Titans player that has not practiced in any fashion this week. Adams is dealing with a hip injury that was more serious than initially thought, but he is trending in the right direction and should return to practice soon. However, he hasn't recovered enough to be healthy for this weekend's game, and that is a big blow for the secondary.

With Adams out, Quandre Diggs will be asked to chip in a little more, along with Amani Hooker and Mike Brown. The team has a few defensive backs that they can elevate from the practice squad to replace Adams in Tre Avery, Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Anthony Kendall and Kendell Brooks.

Kickoff between the Titans and Bears is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.

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