When Tennessee Titans right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere was suspended to start the season, it was thought the team would just cover the void and the second-year offensive lineman would slide right back in his job upon his return.
However, veteran right tackle Chris Hubbard has played well in NPF’s stead, and so much so that he has completely taken over the starting job Petit-Frere owned in his rookie season in 2022.
Earlier this week, head coach Mike Vrabel said that NPF had to “earn a spot back.” On Wednesday, Vrabel made himself even clearer, saying that the Ohio State product would have a tough time getting it back.
Mike Vrabel says Nicholas Petit-Frere would have a hard time earning a starting job back at this point.
Says he’s been very impressed with Chris Hubbard at RT. #Titans
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) October 11, 2023
Petit-Frere not being immediately inserted back into the lineup says a few things, the first of which is obvious: the Titans are happy with Hubbard.
But it also shows the Titans aren’t that high on NPF. After all, if Tennessee viewed Petit-Frere as a talented young offensive lineman who they were confident would be an upgrade, he’d be in there.
While things aren’t looking great for NPF to get back into a starting role right now, it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility he returns to one at some point.
Hubbard, who currently ranks 17th in the NFL among tackles in pass-block win rate, has no doubt been a pleasant surprise for Tennessee, especially when you consider he didn’t play much for a few years.
However, he hasn’t been as good in his last three games as he was in the first two. Hubbard has given up eight pressures and three sacks the past three weeks, as compared to allowing just one pressure over the first two.
If Hubbard struggles moving forward, it wouldn’t shocking to see NPF get his job back. Adding to that, the struggles of left tackle Andre Dillard create another potential avenue for Petit-Frere to get back on the field.
In the mean time, NPF has to get himself acclimated in order to simply dress after he was inactive last week. Once he’s ready, he’s expected to serve as Tennessee’s swing tackle until further notice.
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