Jim Wyatt

NAS

Jake Locker recently had follow-up surgery for the right foot injury he suffered in November.

Locker has missed 14 of a possible 32 starts the past two seasons because of injuries.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said Locker has improved but %22knows what%27s at stake%22 to keep his starting job.

Titans quarterback Jake Locker continues to make strides on the comeback-from-injury trail.

The fourth-year pro recently had surgery to remove the hardware in his right foot, which he had surgically repaired for a Lisfranc injury suffered late last season. He's out of a walking boot and has moved into a different stage in his rehabilitation.

"Surgery went really well. Foot feels awesome and rehab is up and rolling," Locker said Thursday via text. "Doctors were happy with how things looked so (I'm) just continuing to follow that trend."

Locker suffered the injury on Nov. 10 during a game against the Jaguars, had surgery shortly thereafter and the foot was placed in a cast. He discarded his crutches in January in favor of the walking boot, which he was still wearing earlier this month.

Now he's in regular shoes and hopes to take part in organized team activities in June.

Locker has missed 14 of a possible 32 starts over the last two seasons because of injuries. In addition to the seven games he missed last season, he missed five in 2012 because of a shoulder injury that also required offseason surgery.

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Earlier this month Locker said his goals for 2014 are staying healthy and leading the Titans to the playoffs. Tennessee hasn't been to the postseason since 2008, when Locker was a sophomore at Washington.

"It is hard to sit and watch. I haven't played in a long time now and eager for the opportunity to get back out there again," Locker said. "I am going to go out and do what I have done my whole career, and that's to try and prepare myself the best I can and give our team the best chance to have success as possible, and that is my goal."

Titans' brass has made it clear Locker is the starter going into the final year of his rookie contract. The team has no plans to exercise the costly fifth-year option of around $13 million, however, meaning Locker has to prove himself this season.

Earlier this month, the Titans released veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (who signed with the Texans) and signed former Chargers backup Charlie Whitehurst to back up Locker. Tyler Wilson, a fourth-round pick of the Raiders last year, is also under contract.

Speaking at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Fla., this week, Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt once again praised Locker, but made it clear the 2011 first-round pick is on the spot.

"He knows what's at stake. He's got to perform," Whisenhunt told reporters. "One thing I like about him is I've seen improvement in his play over the last few years. He hasn't played enough, that's the hard thing. You'd like to have a little bit more to evaluate. One of the things that I think is important when you're evaluating is, where was he three years ago and where was he this past season? And his play has improved.

"What I saw from him last year in the third game of the season when (the Chargers) played in Tennessee, I was impressed by that. Maybe that's clouded my judgment since I'm with the team, but I was impressed."

Reach Jim Wyatt at 615-259-8015 and on Twitter @jwyattsports.