On Monday morning, the football world reacted in horror as news broke that Tennessee Titans star running back and reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year Derrick Henry would be undergoing potentially season-ending surgery on his fractured right foot. However, we've since learned that his timetable for return is actually now 6-10 weeks, likely towards the latter half of that span.

It's not the worst-case scenario for this Titans squad that sits at 6-2 atop the AFC South, but it's certainly a big blow to a team that had been steamrolling opponents heavyweight opponents left and right.

Does this injury, if it takes as long as it's expected, take the Titans out of Super Bowl contention? I don't believe that's the case Here are 3 reasons why the Titans are still Super Bowl contenders.

3. Passing game going full-steam ahead

Though Henry was fully healthy for the last 2 games Tennesee has played, he hasn't been particularly efficient in either. He's totaled 154 yards on 57 carries, which is good for less than 3 yards per carry. While defenses keying in on Henry certainly helped to open up the passing game, it wasn't like he was carving up the Chiefs and Colts on their way to gaudy point totals.

On the other hand, A.J. Brown's return to health along with Julio Jones has been the most impressive factor of note in recent weeks. Brown has easily topped 100 receiving yards in each of the last two games, and has scored a touchdown with both, showing us that his monster 2020 campaign was no fluke. Ryan Tannehill has hit his stride just in time to carry the load for this offense, which will mean that, once King Henry is healthy, this will be one of the most well-balanced offenses in all of football.

2. Standings and Titans remaining schedule

Perhaps the most important factor in the Titans' chances at contention is that they sit atop the AFC South by a whopping 3 game margin over the Indianapolis Colts after defeating them this past Sunday. With 9 games left in the season for each team, the Titans don't have to be world beaters to ensure they nab a playoff spot. Tennessee will be heavily favored in their upcoming contests against the Texans (twice), Jaguars, and Dolphins, so even if they only win these games the rest of the season, the Colts would have to go 8-1 to win the division (since TEN owns their tiebreaker). Evidently, the Titans are almost a lock for the AFC South division crown.

1. Henry's eventual return

The pessimistic view on Henry's return suggests a 10-week absence, which would be just in time for the AFC playoffs. Assuming a full return to form, there's no reason to believe that Tennessee doesn't have a path to a Super Bowl title. They took down the presumed AFC favorite Buffalo Bills, demolished the reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, and will only get stronger in the winter when the weather cools and run games dominate. So, even though the news that Henry is injured puts a damper on the season for now, their path to success remains crystal clear.