Titans' Kyle Philips looking to make an impact in final games of 2023 season

- The next two games for the Tennessee Titans will be all about the development of younger players and building momentum for the 2024 season.

The Titans are already eliminated from playoff contention. The team is 5-10. The 2023 season has been a major disappointment for all parties involved. But there are still players on Tennessee’s roster that have a lot to play for over the next two weeks.

One of those players is second-hear wide receiver Kyle Philips, who appears to be healthy and eyeing a return this weekend in Houston.

The 2023 season has been full of frustration for Philips. The former 5th round draft pick out of UCLA spent the off-season gaining weight to improve his play strength and durability, but a series of unfortunate events have prevented him from building any true momentum this season.

Philips got his knee taken out during the Titans’ preseason contest against the Minnesota Vikings while returning a punt. The MCL injury landed him on Injured Reserve to open the season and kept him out of the first four games.

After two quiet games following his return, Philips started to have a significant offensive impact once Will Levis took over at quarterback for Ryan Tannehill. Levis and Philips showed good chemistry early on, with Philips hauling in 10 passes for 153 yards in his first three games with Levis under center.

Things then quickly went south. Philips got limited offensive snaps and struggled to produce much against Jacksonville and Carolina in Weeks 11 & 12. The Titans then made him a healthy scratch in Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts, opting to play Colton Dowell for his special teams impact instead. When Treylon Burks returned from his concussions, Philips was the odd man out. 

Hamstring Injury

Another hamstring injury held Philips out of the Titans' games against Houston and Seattle, but he returned to practice this week with hopes of playing against the Texans on Sunday. Philips told media in the locker room that he was fully healthy and hoping to end the season on a high note.

"I feel good and I'm excited to be out there playing football again with no limitations," said Philips in the locker room on Thursday. "We all want to go out on a good note, get a couple wins, and go into the offseason at least feeling good about those wins. The last thing you want is to play your last few games pretty poorly."

Philips added that his current hamstring injury is completely unrelated to the hamstring he dealt with last season. "A freak thing happened, but I'm good now, back to practicing and playing football again," said Philips.

While Nick Westbrook-IKhine is now on Injured Reserve, DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, and Chris Moore are all locks to get significant snaps on Sunday. Mason Kinsey will likely be the punt returner and Colton Dowell will be up to play special teams. Look for Tennessee to have six receivers active on Sunday.