Corey Davis doesn't sweat the preseason

Titans wide receiver has sat out many more preseason contests than he has played in his two-plus seasons

Jim Brown/USA Today Network

OK, so maybe Corey Davis sounds like a guy who doesn’t think he needs to play in the preseason.

The truth is that he has reason to feel that way, even at such an early stage in his career.

The fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft already has established himself as a productive player in regular season openers. And he has done so without the benefit of much – if any – actual game action leading up to the start of the 16-game schedule.

The 6-foot-3, 209-pound wide receiver was held out of last week’s opener at Philadelphia, which means he has played in just two out of a possible nine preseason contests since he entered the league. He did not see any action as a rookie due to a hamstring injury sustained early in training camp. Last year coaches were careful to limit his injury risk and put him on the field in just two of four warm-up contests.

He has never caught a pass in the preseason.

A year-by-year rundown of Corey Davis’ preseason workload:

Season	Games	Snaps	Targets	Catches
2017	0	0	0	0
2018	2	29	3	0
2019	0	0	0	0

“It’s preseason,” Davis said. “It is what it is. Obviously, it’s good to go out there and get some reps. But I’m more so interested in the season.”

It shows.

Davis had a game-high six catches and a team-leading 62 yards in the 2018 opener at Miami. A year earlier, as a rookie, he had six receptions for 69 yards in a loss to Oakland. Among the Titans’ pass-catchers, only tight end Delanie Walker did more that way.

So clearly, he can get ready for the season with just practices.

The decision to keep him out of uniform against the Eagles had to do with the fact that he left a practice a week earlier with a minor injury. He did take part in workouts in days preceding that contest but did not play.

“I’m inclined to make sure that he’s where he needs to be as opposed to just throwing him back in there,” coach Mike Vrabel said early this week.

Davis participated in this week’s two joint workouts with the New England Patriots, although at times it looked as if his reps were limited. It remains to be seen whether he faces the Patriots again when those teams meet in a Week 2 preseason contest Saturday (6 p.m., Nissan Stadium).

If the decision is made to hold him out again, he is not likely to argue.

“Preseason is preseason,” Davis said.

It’s not for everyone.