Titans and Chiefs release their first injury reports ahead of the AFC Championship Game

The Titans Wednesday injury report is out and it’s pretty much all good news today.

The headlines were the return to practice for slot receiver Adam Humphries and inside linebacker Jayon Brown.

Humphries had not been on the practice field at all for six weeks as he recovered from an ankle injury suffered against the Colts in Week 13, but he was back in action today in a limited capacity. It still remains to be seen if he can get enough done to be able to make his return on Sunday, but this is a very good early sign. He was a key figure in the Titans Week 10 win over Kansas City, and even though the Titans offense continued to thrive in his absence, they’ll need all the firepower they can get in Arrowhead on Sunday.

Brown also logged a limited practice after being held out of practice all of last week and sitting out the win over the Ravens with a shoulder injury. David Long and Wesley Woodyard filled in admirably in Baltimore, but Brown is still the Titans best coverage linebacker and his skill set will be more valuable than ever against the high flying Chiefs. He was out for the Titans-Chiefs matchup in Week 10 which hurt Tennessee’s ability to control the middle of the field.

Also turning in limited practices were cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (foot) and inside linebackers Rashaan Evans (foot) and David Long (knee). All three played key roles in the Titans win over the Ravens. Jackson’s foot has been something the team has been managing, but he’s proven to be quite effective the last two weeks, allowing just 5 catches on 13 targets in the last two games combined. Evans and Long both finished the game on Saturday and I’d suspect they’ll be able to play in this game.

Backup wide receiver Cody Hollister was a full participant as he continues to work through an ankle issue. He’s unlikely to be active on Sunday, especially if Humphries is able to go.

Logan Ryan is the only player that was a non-participant. He sat out with an illness. We saw a couple guys do that last week — Nate Davis and Kamalei Correa — before ultimately playing and playing well in the game. I wouldn’t concern myself too much with Ryan’s absence.

The Titans appear to have a chance to have all 53 members of the active roster available for selection on Sunday. That would be the first time in quite a while that they would have that luxury. It’s a good time to be getting healthy.

The Chiefs had three players sit out on their side. Backup quarterback Matt Moore and running back LeSean McCoy did not practice with an illness. Like Ryan, I wouldn’t expect that to have an impact on their status for Sunday. The important name to watch is Pro Bowl defensive lineman Chris Jones. He missed the Chiefs win over the Texans on Sunday with a calf injury and Andy Reid said after the game that Jones “wasn’t close” to playing in that game.

Jones had two sacks in the first matchup between these teams and is one of the most dominant interior pass rushers in the NFL. His length gave Nate Davis fits during that game, and while Davis is a much different player now than he was in Week 10, Jones is a guy that’s going to cause problems for anyone. His availability will be something to closely monitor this week.

Tight end Travis Kelce was a limited participant with a knee injury. He also left the game against the Texans briefly with a hamstring issue before returning and playing effective football. Kelce was limited in practice all last week with the knee and still managed to put up a 10-catch, 134-yard, 3-touchdown dominant performance against Houston. I wouldn’t expect him to be anything less than his normal, elite self.

The Chiefs listed six other players on the report as full participants, including DT Khalen Saunders (knee), CB Morris Claiborne (shoulder), CB Kendall Fuller (knee), DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (neck), CB Austin Reiter (wrist), and LG Andrew Wylie (ankle).

Out of that group, Kpassagnon, Fuller, and Wylie are the ones to watch. Kpassagnon is a starting defensive lineman for Kansas City, Fuller is a slot corner/box safety type, and Wylie is their first choice left guard. Wylie has been out since the Chiefs Week 15 game against the Broncos. His backup, former Eagles guard Stefen Wisniewski is a solid player as well, but the Chiefs seem to prefer Wylie so expect him to start if he’s cleared to play.

Jones is easily the biggest name to watch on the Chiefs side, while Humphries and Brown are the ones to keep an eye on for the Titans. Both teams are relatively healthy which is always what you want to see in a game of this magnitude.