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Titans tight end Delanie Walker said earlier this offseason he was using last year’s injury as motivation, to return to being the best tight end in the league.

Whether he ever held that title or not, he’s getting closer to being healthy enough to stake his claim.

Via Erik Bacharach of the Nashville Tennessean, Walker said he’s not quite 100 percent after last year’s ankle injury, but he has lost weight, and is running and cutting again.

“I feel like I’m in the 85 percent range,” Walker said. “Today I felt fast getting out of my breaks, and I was catching the ball well. Always a good sign.”

The 34-year-old tight end went down in the opener last season, taking away a key contributor to the Titans offense. He said he’s eager to get back after missing the entire season, but confident in their plan for his recovery. Before he injury, he was one of the more productive tight ends in the league, averaging 71 catches and 831 yards per season over a five-year span.

“It’s definitely nice to have him back out,” Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota said. “Obviously, just with that sort of injury, it’s a process. But he’s stuck to it. I think he’s done a great job of doing what he can. He’s helping our young guys out, being a coach. With that type of veteran leadership, that’s going to help every single guy out. From my take, I think it’s going to be a process, but he looks good.”

The Titans can use that kind of production, and leadership from Walker this season.