Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will make his fifth straight start in place of the injured Jake Locker when the Titans play the Bears at LP Field on Sunday, coach Mike Munchak said today. Hasselbeck will be the starter "until further notice," Munchak said. Medical personnel have not cleared Locker (non-throwing shoulder) to participate in a full contact scenario, according to the coach. “I wouldn’t say (Locker) is a long ways away," Munchak said. "He’ll visit the doctors this afternoon and tomorrow morning. Hopefully he’ll be able to do more. It’s more of a medical deal, that they’re going to allow him to do more things, allow him to get bumped around a little bit. "As soon as they’re not worried about that concern any longer, that they feel like the healing is far enough along, then we’ll be able to get him back into playing in traffic, where he can get hit and pushed and fall to the ground … "So it’s not me deciding or us as a team saying, 'Let’s put him back in.’ It’s more of (getting medical approval) to move forward to the next step, which would be doing all practice. Once we feel like he’s to that point, then we feel he’s ready to play.†After the Chicago game, the Titans play at Miami on Nov. 11 and then have a bye on Nov. 18. Munchak acknowledged that Locker could be held out until at least the Nov. 25 game at Jacksonville. "That will factor into the thinking, yes, as far as when we’re told 'Hey, he can go and has no limitations.' " Munchak said. "If that starts up this week, or the beginning of next week, if we feel like he’s ready to play, we’ll give him the opportunity to play. "If it gets to where he’s not really there, and it would be smarter to give him the extra week, then we’ll do that. We’re not making decisions too far out. It’s more just a day to day thing now." Source: The Tennessean
