The Tennessee Titans could be without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins to begin the season after he suffered a knee injury earlier in training camp that could reportedly keep him out for “several weeks.”

Calvin Ridley is making sure that the team has little reason for concern in the veteran’s absence.

At Wednesday’s training camp practice, Ridley gave fans a glimpse at why the Titans signed him to a four-year, $92 million deal in March. On a deep throw down the left sidelines, Ridley tip-toed along the white paint before showing off his impressive hands to make a highlight-reel catch. His teammates clearly loved it, letting out a collective celebratory scream afterwards.

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Ridley’s NFL career was headlined by question marks after he missed the entire 2022 season due to a suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy. The Atlanta Falcons traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Nov. 2022 after playing in just fives games during the 2021 campaign.

The mental toll of waiting through a year-long suspension had many wondering if Ridley would rise back to the heights he reached in 2020 when he posted career-high marks in catches (90), targets (143) and receiving yards (1,374).

He quieted any of those doubts during his first season in Jacksonville last year by finishing with 76 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. Ridley burned the Titans in both AFC South matchups, totaling 13 catches for 209 yards and three scores combined across the two games.

Clearly the Titans front office took notice of this before signing Ridley to the biggest contract of his career.

Hopkins could return Week 1 but likely won’t be 100 percent during the first part of the season. As a result, Ridley will play a vital role for Will Levis and the Titans offense, starting with season-opening at the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 8.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Hendon Hooker is back on the football field.

The former Tennessee football star quarterback made his first appearance on the field since suffering a torn ACL on November 19, 2022, during a 63-28 loss to South Carolina. Hooker, who had been firmly in the Heisman Trophy award race at the time of his injury, was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions. He ended up “redshirting” his rookie season.

REQUIRED READING: Playoff contender or pretender? Examining the case for SEC’s nine ranked teams | Toppmeyer

Hooker made his first NFL appearance against the New York Giants on Thursday at Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the first preseason action for the Lions. According to the first unofficial depth chart, the 26-year-old is listed as the third-string quarterback, with Jared Goff firmly entrenched as the starter. He is competing with backup Nate Sudfield ― who earned the start ― for the backup role.

Hooker was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 after completing 229-of-329 passes (69.6%) for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and two interceptions while also adding 104 rushes for 430 yards and five touchdowns, as he led the Vols to a 9-2 record in 11 games.

Is Hendon Hooker playing tonight?

Hooker made his NFL debut and his first football game action since suffering an ACL tear against South Carolina on Nov. 19, 2022, vs. South Carolina.

On his first drive, Hooker rushed twice for 12 yards and completed his lone pass for a yard, a completion to running back Zonovan Knight.

On his second drive, Hooker converted a pair of third downs: a 3rd and 5th conversion on a pass to Isaiah Williams and a 3rd and 8th completion to Parker Hess, despite being hit late by New York’s Benton Whitley. He also added a 16-yard scramble where he broke a tackle and showed off the health of his knee.

Hooker got Detroit in the red zone but was held out of the end zone despite a 14-play, 88-yard drive ending on a turnover on downs on the Giants’ three-yard line on his second NFL drive.

Hendon Hooker injury

Hooker suffered a non-contact injury against the Gamecocks in the fourth quarter of the late November SEC matchup. The injury occurred on an option play where his leg appeared to get caught in the turf at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

Hendon Hooker stats

In his first NFL action, Hooker completed two drives, with one ending in a punt and another on turnover on downs in the red zone. He went 5-for-9 passing for 36 yards and added four rushes for 34 yards. His longest pass was a 13-yard completion on third down to Williams. His longest rush was a 16-yard scramble for a first down, on which he broke a tackle.

The Tennessee Volunteers have been given some of the best odds to be a first-time college football playoff team this season.

They may not be the most popular pick but the Tennessee Volunteers are being viewed as a potential playoff candidate. It should be very impressive if head coach Josh Heupel could pull that off in a season in which he has a first-year starting quarterback, but the Volunteers have enough pieces on both sides of the ball for people to buy some stock into it. ESPN took a slice of the stock in their most recent article.

The major news outlet ranked the first-time college football playoff contenders for this season and Tennessee was ranked third with a 36.9% chance to reach the playoff. They were only listed behind Missouri and Penn State. The expanded playoff helps the Volunteers’ chances of making the playoffs as it does everyone, but ESPN was also quick to explain how their playoff hopes could be derailed as well.

“Conference expansion. Tennessee’s trip to Oklahoma on Sept. 21 is now a conference game, and ESPN’s FPI gives the Sooners a 59.9% chance to win. If the Vols lose three games (at Oklahoma, vs. Alabama and at Georgia), their playoff hopes will likely shatter. There’s not enough on the rest of the schedule to compensate for that in the committee meeting room, where wins against ranked opponents are a major focus. Tennessee has a respectable nonconference game against NC State in Charlotte, but wins against Chattanooga, Kent State and UTEP won’t separate the Vols from other contenders, and their other SEC opponents might not be ranked. – Heather Dinich”

Tennessee will have to win at least one game between Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma while also remaining flawless everywhere else on the schedule. It’s not a playoff or bust season for the Volunteers but if everything goes right for them this season they will absolutely be a playoff-contending team and the Volunteers will have a shot to play for a national title this season.

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