The Extra Point: Eager to Get Offense Going, Titans Welcome Julio Jones Back

With the former Alabama standout wide receiver back practicing, Tennessee finally has its full offense on the field together.

There have been so many things going on in Tennessee, from the deadly flooding in Waverly to head coach Mike Vrabel testing positive for Covid-19, that it would have been understandable if hardly anyone noticed Julio Jones back practicing on Tuesday. 

But, yes, they did notice when No. 2 came out in full uniform. He did conditioning work, went through a jog-through and spent time with both receivers coach Rob Moore and a JUGS machine. 

As All Titans reported, it was really the first time the Titans' new offense worked together on the field, even if it wasn't at full speed. 

“Obviously, we have been waiting for it, and we are excited to get him out here whenever he is ready,” quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. “There is a lot of work to do still with him; we have talked through a lot of looks, and seen on tape other guys take the reps and talk through the space and the timing. Now it is just a matter of getting out here and doing it in person and make that connection.”

Jones had been held out of practice since falling awkwardly on Aug. 2, but there really wasn't much of a need to have him play in the first couple of preseason games, either.  

"I'm always encouraged when any of our players can get back out there, that may not have been out there in the previous days or weeks," Vrabel said on a video conference from home. "But yeah, certainly it was good to see, and some of that stuff at the end (of practice) was allowing a lot of guys who hadn't been out there to get back out there with us."

Vrabel is hopeful of being back for Saturday night's preseason finale against the Bears. If Jones plays, it probably won't be for long. 

The Extra Point is a regular feature on BamaCentral, and often includes video and other elements from our FanNation partners. Other recent segments include:

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Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.