SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – SEPTEMBER 19: A.J. Brown #11 of the Tennessee Titans looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on September 19, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The Titans have terrific overall talent at the wide receiver position, but losing A.J. Brown could be disastrous for Tennessee.
Trading for Julio Jones in the offseason was supposed to give the Titans one of the best wide receiver duos in the entire NFL. That Tennessee dream won’t come to fruition if A.J. Brown can’t stay healthy.
The talented third-year pro went out with what appeared to be a hamstring injury in the first quarter of his team’s Week 3 matchup against the Colts. The Titans have the talent to overcome Indianapolis without the services of Brown, but it could become a big issue for Ryan Tannehill and his offense down the road.
Brown and Jones are miles above their backups as the team’s starters on the outside. Without Brown in the mix, Tennessee will be forced to rely on both Cameron Batson and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to pick up the slack on the boundary.
A.J. Brown leaves Titans’ game against Colts with injury
An extended injury absence from Brown would also heap pressure on slot receiver Josh Reynolds to become more productive. He’s flashed big-time capability during his pro career but he’s never established himself as a high-quality starter due to his inconsistency.
The good news for the Titans is that they can still rely on Derrick Henry and the run game to bludgeon opponents into submission. That might not give the offense enough diversity to make another deep postseason run, but it’s more than enough to keep them in the mix for a postseason berth while Brown recovers.
The key for the Titans is that Brown’s injury doesn’t prove to be a season ender. They can survive without him for several weeks, but losing him for the rest of the year might end their Super Bowl dreams.