Mason is expected to play on Sunday despite a cracked rib.

The Titans were back on the field at Baptist Sports on Friday continuing their preparations for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and continuing to heal.

Several Titans were back on the practice field for the first since last week. Among the players that returned to the field was wide receiver Derrick Mason.

Mason suffered a cracked rib in last week’s win over Houston, and returned to practice at full speed for the first time all week.

Mason worked every play with the first team offense, but didn’t do any special teams work.

Head Coach Jeff Fisher said based on his performance today, he expects Mason to play on Sunday.

‘’He’ll wear a light flap jacket,’’ Fisher said. ‘’I don’t think its going to effect him, we’re not going to put him out there if he’s not full speed, but we expect he’s got a chance to play to play,’’

Running Back Eddie George returned on Friday after missing Thursday’s practice with a swollen ankle.

Quarterback Steve McNair continues to recover from his ankle and calf injuries. He spent the first part of practice on a stationary bike, then moved to the field to observe Neil O’Donnell and the offense.

‘’Steve does a lot inside, he’s in the pool and does his cardio and all his exercises inside,’’ Fisher said. ‘’He’s feeling better, he’s better today than he was last Friday, so that’s encouraging,’’

As has been the case several times this season, McNair is listed as questionable, and will be a game time decision.

‘’We’re going to do the same things with him, carry him out just before the warm-ups, get him out there, get him running around a little bit, try to get him warmed up and see how he feels,’’

‘’This game means a lot to us, and he’d like to play,’’