Colin McCarthy unlikely to play vs. Chargers

It doesn’t sound like Titans middle linebacker Colin McCarthy (ankle) will play against the Chargers on Sunday. He didn’t practice on Wednesday, and coach Mike Munchak seemed pessimistic about the second-year pro’s chances of playing.

McCarthy, who was injured late in the first half of last Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, did not attend practice and wasn’t in the locker room while media was present.

Munchak wouldn’t say whether McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain, an injury which would keep him out longer than a standard sprain. Yet the coach was clear about how much McCarthy, voted a team captain last week, would be missed.

“It’s nothing bad, but … he’s still sore. We anticipate it would be hard for him to play this weekend,” Munchak said. “I think people underestimated how much we missed him (against the Patriots). He’s your leader. He was making a lot of plays. Losing a guy like that is like losing your quarterback.”

The plan is for veteran Will Witherspoon to move from outside linebacker to middle linebacker. Rookie Zach Brown would then slide into Witherspoon’s spot at weakside linebacker.

“Whatever they throw at me I am going to be ready for,” Brown said. “I like challenges.”


(tennessean.com)