Nearly eight months ago, Tennessee Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse was lying on the grass at Nissan Stadium with multiple torn ligaments in his left knee.

On Wednesday, he was back on the practice field punting for the Titans at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park.

"This journey has been incredibly long," Stonehouse said. "But the main thing is that I'm punting again. That's something that I never thought 7½ months ago I would be able to do."

Stonehouse, 25, has been the Titans' punter for most of the past two seasons, but suffered a gruesome knee injury on Dec. 3 against the Indianapolis Colts

Early in the fourth quarter, a Colts player blocked a punt by Stonehouse, then landed on his left, planting leg. He had surgery to repair the knee on Dec. 15.

"This is the next step in the recovery process," he said. "I can't thank our trainers enough. My surgeon, everyone. Everyone who has supported me through this."

At practice on Wednesday — the first full day of Titans training camp — Stonehouse participated in special teams punting drills, splitting reps with second-year punter Ty Zentner.

"The biggest thing is just getting those reps. Feeling the rush, feeling the snap, the rhythm of everything," Stonehouse said. "That's going to help me get back to where I was at."

He said he feels on track to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 8 against the Chicago Bears.

"I'm very encouraged," Stonehouse said. "I feel like I'm just going to get better and better."

Ryan Stonehouse recalls injury after return to Tennessee Titans practice

Stonehouse has been one of the strengths of the Titans' special teams unit since his arrival in 2022. That year, he led the NFL in total punt yardage with 4,779 yards. In 2023, he led the league in yards per punt (53.1) before his season-ending injury.

The severity of Stonehouse's injury was obvious to anyone watching the play. The television broadcasters were hesitant to show it on replay, a telltale sign that it was serious.

Not that Stonehouse needs a replay — he remembers almost everything about the moment.

"I remember being on the ground, I remember Mike Vrabel being over me, all the trainers. Just knowing that definitely something serious had happened," he said.

The memory sticks with him, but now all he's thinking about is his progress.

"Going from Dec. 15, laying in a hospital bed, to now. It's hard to imagine walking and then being where I am today," Stonehouse said. "It's just very encouraging."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse practices, recalls knee injury