Cunningham Returns from Injured Reserve

An elbow injury has sidelined the veteran inside linebacker for all but five games for the Tennessee Titans' defense thus far this season.

Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans spent much of the week sending players to injured reserve.

Friday, they brought one back.

Nearly two weeks after he was designated for return to practice, inside linebacker Zach Cunningham was returned to the active roster on Friday. That means he will be available to play Saturday against the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium.

Also, right guard Nate Davis was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, and rookie offensive lineman Xavier Newman was signed to the active roster off the practice squad. Davis is the third offensive lineman this week to go on IR. Center Ben Jones (concussion) and guard/tackle Dillon Radunz (knee) preceded him.

Finally, linebacker Andre Smith and running back Jonathan Ward were designated as standard elevations from the practice squad and will be available to play against the Texans. Both automatically will revert to the practice squad on Sunday.

Cunningham has missed the last six games with an elbow injury that also sidelined him for three contests earlier in the year. In five games (two cut short by the injury), he has made 23 tackles and registered one quarterback pressure.

“We are just trying to be able to see where he is with his arm, how he can use it, make sure that he can protect himself, and do some things,” coach Mike Vrabel said earlier in the week. “We will see kind of where he is at. … It will be helpful just to get some guys ready, whether that is (Cunningham) or anybody else.”

It will be Cunningham.

His return comes two weeks after David Long, the other starter at inside linebacker, went on injured reserve in his own right and one day after Dylan Cole, who has played in Cunningham’s place, was ruled out of this contest because of ankle injury.