Titans QB Will Levis leaves Sunday's game against Texans with foot injury

Updated Dec. 31, 2023 6:06 p.m. ET

Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis left Sunday's 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans with a foot injury and it's unclear if he'll be back for the team's season finale next week against Jacksonville.

“We will see how it is,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to be too, too serious. He couldn’t finish the game. We will see where things are tomorrow.”

Levis was injured on a strip-sack by Jerry Hughes early in the second quarter. Sheldon Rankins scooped the ball up and returned it for a touchdown to make it 17-0.

Levis got on a cart and was taken to the locker room and Ryan Tannehill took over. He threw for 168 yards but couldn't get the Titans (5-11) in the end zone as they lost to the Texans (9-7) for the second time this month after falling in OT in Week 15.

Tannehill said it's difficult when the starting quarterback goes down, but that everyone has to pitch in to make things easier.

“We've just got to do better of doing our job all around,” he said. “If it’s blocking, then blocking. If it’s catching, catching. If it’s throwing, throwing. Whatever the case may be, we just got to do a better job of doing our job.”

The Texans had six sacks Sunday after finishing with seven in the 19-16 overtime victory on Dec. 17.

“We have to be able to protect the quarterback,” Vrabel said. “The numbers are the numbers. You've got to be able to protect the quarterback if you want to be able to throw a pass in this league."

Former Texans star DeAndre Hopkins had seven receptions for 72 yards for the Titans. Derrick Henry had 12 carries for 42 yards after being limited to 9 yards on 16 carries by the Texans in the first meeting.

Hopkins has 1,011 yards receiving this season for his seventh career 1,000-yard season and first since he had 1,407 in 2020.

“Going over 1,000 means a lot to me,” Hopkins said. “No matter what the record says, you have to have a little pride and take accountability of what you can do and what you can control. That’s my mindset.”

Henry's performance gives him 1,014 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns this season to become the 10th player in NFL history with five or more seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing and 10 rushing scores.

Levis returned this week after sitting out last week with the sprained left ankle he aggravated on the seventh sack in the first meeting with Houston.

Vrabel said Sunday's injury was different than the one that kept him out last week.

Tennessee right tackle Dillon Radunz was upset that the Titans let Houston knock Levis out of the game again Sunday.

“It’s very exhausting, especially for it to be a sack, fumble, touchdown,” he said. “We've got to be way better than that. It’s the same opponent that hurt him last time. Then it happens again. We've got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot like that.”

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