Jason Wolf

jwolf@tennessean.com

Don’t expect Derrick Henry to receive any more work than he’s already been getting, even though the rookie Heisman Trophy winner has impressed in limited action.

The Titans will continue to ride DeMarco Murray as their workhorse running back despite a toe injury that’s hampered him since a victory against the Jaguars on Oct. 27, coach Mike Mularkey said Monday, the team’s first day back after a late bye week. Murray was a full practice participant.

“I think the bye has helped,” Mularkey said. “I think he’s gotten better every week.”

Murray remains second in the NFL with 1,043 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 229 carries (behind only Cowboys rookie Ezekiel Elliott, who has 1,285 rushing yards). He also has 45 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

But Murray had just 43 yards on 17 carries in the Titans' last game, a 27-21 victory against the Bears on Nov. 27. It was his second-least productive rushing performance of the season, and his 2.5 average yards per carry was by far his worst.

Henry, who did not touch the ball during a loss to the Colts a week earlier, was involved early against the Bears. The bruising running back finished with 60 rushing yards on eight carries — an average of 7.5 yards per touch — and scored his second career touchdown.

Henry has 312 rushing yards and two scores on 70 carries this season, plus nine catches for 107 yards.

Couldn’t Henry provide fresh legs down the stretch?

“Yeah, and I think we’ve tried to do that more in the last few games,” Mularkey said. “But again, I never played running back, but I know you get into a rhythm, you get into a flow of the game, and some of these guys, they get better as the game goes. The more you give it to them, the better they get. I’ve seen that with DeMarco.

“Maybe that’s with Derrick as well, but he’s got to be careful of sitting here thinking, forcing, this is what people want. We’ve got a pretty good back. And he’s one of the leaders in the NFL in rushing. I’m not going to change something good to appease anybody.”

Injury updates: Defensive lineman Jurrell Casey did not practice Monday as he continues to recover from a sprained right foot suffered during the victory against the Bears. Casey has not been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Broncos at Nissan Stadium.

Cornerback Jason McCourty was a full participant at practice after leaving the Bears game with a bruised right knee.

Valentino Blake and fifth-round rookie LeShaun Sims are the front-runners to start on the outside opposite McCourty after the Titans cut Perrish Cox last week, Mularkey said.

Custom cleats: Four Titans plan to wear custom cleats to promote charities during the game Sunday, after the NFL allowed players to do so during a league-wide “My Cause, My Cleats” promotion last week.

The Titans and Browns missed out because they were on a bye. Players were unsure about whether they’d be fined by the league Monday afternoon, but they are allowed to participate, according to the NFL.

"We have spoken to both clubs who were on byes," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy wrote in an email to The Tennessean. "Players from the two teams on a bye last week may participate in My Cause/My Cleats in Week 14. They can wear the cleats in game."

The players who plan to wear special cleats, and their charities:

Titans linebacker Avery Williamson wore custom patriotic cleats during the season opener against the Vikings on Sept. 11 despite being told that he risked a fine from the league. Several New York-area police unions implored him to wear the cleats anyway and offered to pay his fine, as did Mularkey. The NFL did not fine him.

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