Taylor Lewan shared a gnarly post-surgery photo

Taylor Lewan shared a nasty picture of his leg.

It’s not a coincidence that the Tennessee Titans’ hot start to the season happened at the same time that left tackle Taylor Lewan was playing some of the best football of his career. Unfortunately for Mike Vrabel and a suddenly lethal Titans team, Lewan’s ACL injury ended the season for Ryan Tannehill’s blindside protector and Derrick Henry’s favorite player to run behind.

Lewan gave Titans fans a very gruesome update on how his recovery is going, confirming that his injured leg is all stitched up and that his recovery is officially underway.

Taylor Lewan has been one of the best left tackles in the league

Lewan made three straight Pro Bowls from 2016 to 2018, but injuries are starting to become more of a problem for him. While he has been excellent in run and pass protection over the last few years, 2017 was the last time he played in all 16 games. Considering he is the third-highest paid left tackle in football, that has to be concerning for Tennessee.

Replacing Lewan has been a bit of a chore this season. With the slow development and personal troubles of Isaiah Wilson, the Titans have used Dennis Kelly and journeyman Ty Sambrailo at the tackle spots. The tandem, especially Sambrailo, lacks Lewan’s strength and killer instinct, and that’s contributed to Tannehill looking mortal over the last few weeks.

The Titans will still tread water in the AFC South without Lewan, but it’s clear that the running and passing game will suffer without him there. Considering the amount of money they have tied up in his contract, they need to hope 2021 can be a much healthier, more productive season for Lewan that doesn’t involve any major knee injuries.