Mularkey preparing for Mariota to return for season opener

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota continues to make progress in his recovery from a fractured fibula.

Mariota suffered the injury on December 24 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and promptly underwent surgery.

Earlier in the offseason, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey said Mariota is "on pace" to return for the regular season and doubled down on his comments during the NFL combine.

"I feel pretty good about it," Mularkey said via NFL.com's Conor Orr. "You have to trust the doctor's words. And if you know Marcus like we do, I think we believe that with the way he goes about business, he'll be prepared. And he's not going to overdo it. He's been told 'Be careful. Be smart about it.'

"I think our No. 1 goal is to make sure he's under center when we open up opening day."

Mariota completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 3,426 yards, 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions, cementing his status as the Titans' franchise player. Upon establishing his command of the offense for the past two years, the Titans desperately hope Mariota will be back for Week 1, with Matt Cassel serving as his backup.