"Matt Hasselbeck is not sure where he will experience the greatest amount of pain this season.

The Tennessee Titans quarterback is certain, though, that it will not be from the bruised thumb he sustained late in last Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans.

"I think I hit it on an arm, or somebody's elbow … something like that — one of those big D linemen," Hasselbeck said. "There's nothing you can really do."

"I've had worse. Played with worse. Practiced with worse. So I anticipate having much worse injuries at some point this season. I'm not too focused on it."

Minor as it might have been, coaches opted in favor of caution and held Hasselbeck out of the majority of Wednesday's workout. It was business as usual Thursday, though, as the 13-year veteran did the bulk of the work with the starting offense during a spirited session conducted on the team's indoor practice field.

"Sometimes players need someone to tell them they can't do it," coach Mike Munchak said. "So I think we did the right thing by telling him he couldn't do it even though he is a guy that is never going to come over to you and say, 'Hey, can I rest my thumb for a day?' I wouldn't expect him ever to do that. Even if it's hanging off of his hand, I know he would want to practice and it was up to us to do that."

The fact that the thumb is as bad as it's been for Hasselbeck thus far is encouraging for the Titans, who signed the free agent in order to allow rookie Jake Locker at least a season to watch and develop."