The Tennessee Titans won’t have one of their most versatile players for their next game. Maybe longer.
Dontrell Hilliard won’t be available for practice this week and won’t play Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, coach Mike Vrabel said Monday.
The veteran running back was taken from the field with a neck injury a day earlier during the Titans’ 36-22 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It happened with 7:25 to play in the second quarter when Hilliard was involved in a tackle during a punt return. As the play ended, he dropped to his backside and immediately fell backward.
Medical personnel did not strap him to a backboard or employ a neck brace before they took him from the field.
“He’s doing much better,” Vrabel said. “Dontrell won’t be available this week. We’ll continue to monitor him. I’ve seen him (Monday). So, he’s doing good, which is the most important thing.”
It was his seventh special teams tackle of the season for a player who has been involved in more than one-third of the Titans’ special teams snaps this season. He also has played more than one-quarter of the snaps on offense and has served in a variety of roles with both units.
On offense, Hilliard has lined up at halfback, fullback, tight end in the slot and split out wide, according to Pro Football Focus. On special teams, he has been the personal protector on punts, has – at times – been on the kickoff and punt return teams as well as the kickoff unit.
He is one of eight players on offense who has appeared in every game this season.
Against Jacksonville, Hilliard filled in for the injured C.J. Board as the kickoff and punt returner before he was injured.
The fifth-year veteran leads the Titans with four touchdown receptions (a career-high) and has 21 receptions (another career-high) for 177 yards. He also is the Titans’ second-leading rusher with 145 yards on 22 carries (6.6 yards per attempt).
Without him, rookie running backs Hassan Haskins and Julius Chestnut will have bigger roles, provided they are available. Haskins has missed the last two games with a hip injury.
Almost certainly, it will take more than one person to replace him.
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