Jake Locker injury: Titans QB ‘back to normal’

Locker was dealing with all kinds of discomfort in the aftermath of the procedure, including sleeping in chairs to make sure he didn’t bother the shoulder. Now, Locker appears all-systems-go as the Titans move towards training camp with a few OTAs in the meantime.

Last year, Locker was handed the reigns for the first time and he struggled, completing only 56.4 percent of his passes while tossing only ten touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions.

Locker missed five games last season when he twice separated his non-throwing shoulder. The injury hobbled him all year as he completed just 56.4 percent of his passes for 2,176 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

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The team was 1-2 with the 2011 first-round pick at QB, including a 44-41 overtime win against Detroit where Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns.

The Titans’ game against the Dolphins in Week 10 is the last game before the Titans have their bye week the following week. Next Sunday’s game will be played at Sun Life Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

In four starts, Locker has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 781 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. The Titans were 1-3 in those games.

Locker dislocated his left shoulder twice in the first four weeks of the season and has been inactive since Week 4. He was limited in practice the past few weeks.

Locker played pretty well before the injury, throwing for 781 yards and four touchdowns on 63.2 percent passing in three-plus games. Veteran Matt Hasselbeck has performed admirably in Locker’s absence, winning two games and throwing for 1,167 yards in nearly five full games of action.

Tennessee head coach Mike Munchak also noted in the report that when Locker is ready to return he’ll resume his role as the team’s starting signal-caller, saying, “There wouldn’t be any doubt that he’d be the guy playing.”

In his four starts this season, Locker has passed for 781 yards -- completing 63.2 percent of his throws -- and 4 touchdowns with 2 interceptions.

Hasselbeck went 26-for-43 passing for 200 yards and an interception in Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the Vikings. Munchak has acknowledged that playing from behind in most games this season has not helped the man under center:

The Titans play the Steelers on Thursday night at LP Field at 8:30 p.m. with television coverage on NFL Network.

Hasselbeck went 17-for-25 with 193 passing yards after replacing Locker against the Texans. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions as well. Locker has completed 63.2 percent of his passes in 2012. He’s thrown for 781 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Tennessee is 1-3 on the season.

According to a report in The Tennessean, Locker could miss multiple games.

An MRI has shown no structural damage after his latest shoulder dislocation. Locker had been wearing a shoulder harness underneath his uniform since Week 1. Although rest is the immediate solution, this could be a recurring injury for Locker would mean he’d need surgery in order to make a full recovery.

Through the first four games of the season, Locker is 67-of-106 passing (63.2%) for 781 yards. Locker has thrown four touchdowns and has only been intercepted twice.

Titans head coach Mike Munchak said that the team will know more about Locker’s status for Week 5 on Tuesday.

Here are the key injuries from Sunday’s action, and their potential impact:

The Bills’ tight end, a touchdown-catching machine early in the season, suffered a head injury in the first half of Buffalo’s 52-28 loss to New England in Week 4 and did not return to action. Chandler, who had already hauled in two touchdowns in the second quarter alone prior to his exit, was evaluated for symptoms of a concussion and preliminary reports indicate he should be able to play in next week’s matchup with San Francisco.

After leaving the game in the first quarter, Locker was taken to the locker room, and was given an X-ray. The injury — a separated left shoulder — ailed the second-year quarterback before, and will likely cause Locker to miss some time, as the Titans fear this injury may be worse.

The Tennessean’s Jim Wyatt reported that the quarterback’s shoulder popped out on a sack from Texans defensive back Quin Glover early in the game on Sunday. Wyatt was quick to clarify that no timetable has been set for Locker’s return and the starter for next week’s game is far from determined at this early stage.