The Tennessee Titans have already clinched a playoff berth but still have some work to do this weekend against the Houston Texans. They could clinch the AFC's top seed with a victory over their lowly division rival. Leading up to this Sunday's game, they've been looking for one of their best players to make a long-awaited return.

Derrick Henry, a key contributor to the Titans' success, has missed half the season with a foot injury. Although he was cleared to practice this week, he was not activated from injured reserve by the Titans, meaning that he will sit out their Week 18 showdown with the Texans.

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Henry had made progress in practice this week but Tennessee opted not to give him the green light. He has been out since Week 8 and will continue his recovery process. In his eight games this season, he has rushed for 937 yards and 10 touchdowns.

D'Onta Forman has filled Henry's role admirably, rushing for over 100 yards in three of his last five games and adding three touchdowns in that five-game span. Tennessee is 5-3 since Henry went down with injury but they would still prefer to have their superstar running back healthy.

While getting Henry some live reps before the playoffs would have been a great sign of his readiness, playing it safe and letting him rehab is a smart move. The Titans have a terrific shot at winning without Henry, as the Texans are one of the NFL's worst teams. Securing a first-round bye and allowing Henry more time to heal would be extra helpful for the Titans.