Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans ‘ most consistent scoring threat in an ugly season now is on the injury report, and that’s why they brought back a player for a bit of insurance.

Kicker Nick Folk worked through some soreness, making a pair of field goals for Tennessee’s only points last week in the Titans’ loss to the Jaguars, his longest a 46-yarder. Both Folk and Brayden Narveson were on the field Wednesday during the portion of practice open to reporters, though the Titans listed Folk among six who did not practice.

Coach Brian Callahan said it was just some “general soreness” for Folk. But as good as Folk has been this season, he turned 40 last month. So the Titans (3-10) signed Narveson to the practice squad Tuesday after he spent training camp with them in case they need an option Sunday when they host Cincinnati (5-8).

“You’re always mindful of it with kickers and that kind of leg soreness,” Callahan said. “So he finished the game but was sore. … He doesn’t do anything on Wednesdays anyway. He’ll try to kick (Thursday), and we’ll see where he’s at. So I don’t really know how to feel about it either way. I just know he’ll kick tomorrow, and then we’ll have a better feel for his status after that.”

Folk has an NFL record streak of 85 consecutive field goals made on attempts from less than 40 yards, which included a 39-yarder that put the Titans up 6-0 last week. He ranks 14th in NFL history with 403 field goals and trails Arizona kicker Matt Prater by just four. Prater, who has 407 field goals, currently is on injured reserve.

The kicker signed a new deal this offseason after New England traded him to Tennessee in 2023 with Folk going on to lead both the NFL and set a franchise record, making 96.7% of his field goals (29 of 30). Folk has been nearly perfect this season, making all 22 extra point attempts and is 21 of 22 on field goals, including matching his career-long with a 56-yarder earlier this season.

Narveson had an impressive preseason for Tennessee, letting Folk focus on preparing for the regular season. The rookie from N.C. State was 6 of 7 on field-goal attempts, including a 59-yarder. He also made a 46-yard attempt as time expired in a 16-15 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. His lone miss was a 58-yarder at the end of the Titans’ preseason finale that was nearly returned for a touchdown. He made his first try only to have it nullified because a timeout had been called.

Green Bay claimed Narveson when Tennessee waived him at the final roster cutdown. The Packers waived Narveson in October after the kicker missed a league-high five field-goal attempts.

“If for some reason he can’t go Sunday, Brayden will be ready to roll in and he’ll kick and do all that,” Callahan said of Narveson. “So obviously it’s nice to have some familiarity with him, and he’s here in case we need him.”

Levis update

Among the Titans who practiced fully Wednesday was quarterback Will Levis. He said after the loss to the Jaguars that he played the second half after getting a shot after aggravating his right, throwing shoulder. He sprained the AC joint in that shoulder early in a win over Miami on Sept. 30 and later missed three games with the injury.

“Feel good,” Levis said after a 75-minute practice. “Just going to see how the week goes and see how the body responds, but I definitely feel better than the last time I nicked it up.”

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Every step Zakai Zeigler took on the court at Madison Square Garden brought back a memory Tuesday. And they weren’t good ones. 

Tennessee’s senior point guard kept going back to two years ago, when the Vols came to New York for the Sweet 16 against Florida Atlantic. Zeigler was only a couple weeks removed from having surgery to repair a torn ACL. 

“I remember (in) my head like, the last time I was here, I was on a scooter, rolling around,” Zeigler said Tuesday night. “Just being able to walk that hallway, being able to warm up, every moment out there just meant something to me.”

Zeigler made every moment count in one final homecoming with Tennessee. The Long Island native scored 13 points, had nine assists and grabbed five rebounds while leading the No. 1 team in college basketball to a 75-62 win over Miami in the Jimmy V Classic. 

“It’s been a tough journey,” Zeigler said, “but no matter what, my mom always told me to be a fighter and never give up. And everything is part of God’s plan. 

“So all the ups and downs in life, no matter what, I’m just thankful to be in position I’m in today.”

Rick Barnes on Zakai Zeigler: ‘I wouldn’t trade him for anybody’

Zeigler was on the floor at The Garden as a freshman in December 2021 in the Jimmy V Classic, coming off the bench to score nine points, with two rebounds, an assist and a steal, in 29 minutes during an ugly 57-52 overtime loss to Texas Tech.

His sophomore season ended with a torn ACL in Tennessee’s final home game of the regular season. 

He had surgery and was away from the team while the Vols beat Louisiana and Duke in Orlando in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament, then rejoined his teammates a week later for the East Regional semifinal in New York.  

Tennessee led by as many as nine points in the first half, but was outscored by 12 after halftime as ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic’s Cinderella run to the Final Four sent the Vols home.

“I remember the game and it was pretty tough to watch, honestly,” Zeigler said. “I’m a sore loser.”

Zakai Zeigler this season: 12.1 points, 8.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 steals per game

This Tennessee team hasn’t lost yet, off to a 9-0 start — the program’s best winning nine straight to start the 2000-01 season — with Zeigler as the front man. He’s averaging 12.1 points, 8.0 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals in a team-high 33.2 minutes per game. 

“I wouldn’t trade him for anybody,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “ … He has been incredible. His DNA, how he’s impacted our program is unlike many players can ever do. And I’m just happy that we’re able to get him back here to New York, being his senior year, because I know he knows what The Garden is about. 

“He knows it’s a stage instead of court. And just getting him back here is really special for him.”

On Tuesday night it was a stage Zeigler got to star on in front of friends and family — at long last. 

“Being able to come back here,” Zeigler said, “and get a win in front of a lot of hometown friends, family, my grandmother’s here, some people that haven’t got to see my teammates play since high school maybe, it was really meaningful for me, honestly, being able to get that win today and see everybody out there.”

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine leads the team in touchdowns, and he nearly extended that in the final offensive possession in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

However, Westbrook-Ikhine couldn’t haul in the potential game-winning catch on 4th down, leading the Jags to victory.

Westbrook-Ikhine spoke about the drop after the game.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s really disappointing. Essentially, I didn’t just let myself down, I let my teammates down, fans down, Will (Levis) down, organization down really what it is. But it doesn’t define me. I know it doesn’t. It’s unfortunate. It really is. I really did want to come down with that pass obviously, I mean, everybody does. And yeah, I’ve been thinking about it, but that’s just life, that’s football sometimes it’s just that close. There’s no excuses for it, anything like that. I know it’s a play I can make. It’s not an easy catch, but it’s also not an impossible to catch either. So, yeah, just got to live with it, take it on the chin and keep going,” Westbrook-Ikhine said.

Westbrook-Ikhine had just one catch for 19 yards, snapping a three-game touchdown streak. Out of every game that he’s seen a target this season, Westbrook-Ikhine has scored in seven out of nine matchups, making him one of the best touchdown scorers this season.

Westbrook-Ikhine was in position to make the game-winning grab, but he was unable to execute. Luckily for the Titans, Westbrook-Ikhine has been there more often than not, emerging as one of the top pass-catchers on the team. He will get a shot at redemption, but he certainly wishes he had that one back.

Westbrook-Ikhine and the Titans are back in action on Sunday when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff is set for 12 noon CT.

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