Titans OL May Not Be Ready For Week 1

The Tennessee Titans might not have one of their key starters on the offensive line to start the season.

Tennessee Titans center Lloyd Cushenberry III looks to block against the Buffalo Bills. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans bolstered their interior offensive line a year ago by signing veteran center Lloyd Cushenberry III away from the Denver Broncos.

Cushenberry looked solid at the start of his debut season in Nashville, but an Achilles tear in the middle of the year ended his first Titans campaign prematurely.

Team reporter Jim Wyatt questioned whether or not he would be available when the season started.

"The veteran center suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the team's November 3 game against the Patriots, nine games into his first year with the Titans," Wyatt wrote.

"Cushenberry went on Injured Reserve, and he then began a long and grueling rehabilitation process that continued through the offseason when he missed OTAs and the team's three-day minicamp. While he's been recovering, Cushenberry said he's focused even more on his diet, and game preparation."

"Cushenberry said he's as optimistic about being back for the opener, but he has to continue putting in the work. It remains to be seen whether he'll begin training on the team's Physically Unable to Perform list, but at some point, the Titans hope Cushenberry will be able to return to mix. His return date will be worth monitoring."

The hope is for Cushenberry to be healthy going into the regular season, but the Titans would rather wait if it meant keeping him good to go in the long run.

If Cushenberry were to be on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List, he would miss the first six weeks of the season at the very least. That would likely elevate Brenden Jaimes, Sam Mustipher or rookie fifth-round pick Jackson Slater into Cushenberry's role for the time being.

Cushenberry has until July 22 to get ready if he wants to participate in the start of the team's training camp.

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