Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ó Vince Young is awaiting an MRI exam on his sprained left knee Tuesday, hours after the Tennessee Titans sought police help in finding the quarterback the team described as “emotionally down.”
Young left his home around 7 p.m. Monday without a phone, prompting the Titans to call Nashville police for help.
The team got a message to Young through a friend, and the quarterback met with coach Jeff Fisher and police at team headquarters around 11:30 p.m. Police spokesman Don Aaron said Young drove himself home about 30 minutes later.
The story first was reported by WKRN-TV.
“Ultimately, it appears the initial concerns about his emotional state were unfounded,” Aaron said Tuesday. “But no one actually knew that until he was spoken to face to face.”
Aaron also said Young had an unloaded handgun in the glovebox of his car. Tennessee law permits unloaded firearms in vehicles as long as no ammunition is present.
Young hurt his knee late in Sunday’s 17-10 win over Jacksonville and was booed heavily by fans.
“Given the totality of the circumstances, the fact that Young had been emotionally down all day Coach Fisher contacted the police department and asked for help in finding him to check on his emotional well-being,” Aaron said.
The Titans said people close to Young called the team Monday night, concerned about his state of mind when he left his home.
“He was located at a friend’s house, where we made contact with him. He then came to the practice facility where it was determined that those initial concerns by his friends and family were unfounded, and he returned home without incident,” the Titans said in a statement.
Young’s MRI exam was rescheduled for Tuesday from Monday with no explanation. Fisher said Monday if the injury is a third-degree MCL sprain, Young probably would miss a couple weeks and not be 100 percent for up to four weeks.
Veteran Kerry Collins is the only other quarterback on the roster, but the Titans worked out Quinn Gray on Tuesday. The team also was looking at QB Joey Harrington and a handful of receivers, including Glenn Martinez and Chad Jackson.