Tag: Ben Jones

Titans to release C Ben Jones, who could be option for Cardinals

With Rodney Hudson expected to retire, the veteran center form the Titans is a name to watch with GM Monti Ossenfort’s ties to Tennessee.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort’s previous team, the Tennessee Titans, are reportedly releasing starting center Ben Jones. With Cardinals starting center Rodney Hudson expected to retire this offseason, Jones suddenly becomes a player to watch.

Jones will turn 34 years old this year.

He has played 11 seasons in the NFL, the last seven as Tennesse’s starting center. He played in 12 games last season but was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

The Cardinals will need a new starting center and, given Ossenfort’s familiarity with the Titans, Jones could be a short-term option.

He is 6-foot-3 and 308 pounds. As a vested veteran, once officially released, he will not have to clear waivers and will be able to sign with a new team immediately.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Report: Tennessee Titans releasing center Ben Jones

The Titans are reportedly releasing center Ben Jones.

The Tennessee Titans are reportedly parting ways with veteran center and one of the most beloved players on the team, Ben Jones.

According to Buck Reising of AtoZ Sports Nashville, the Titans are cutting Jones. Also of note in Reising’s report is the fact that the Titans gave Jones the option to retire or be released, and he obviously chose the latter.

The move to cut Jones will save the Titans $3.7 million in 2023.

The fact that the Titans weren’t looking to keep Jones at all comes as a major surprise, as he was consistently their best offensive lineman over the course of his time in Nashville.

And that continued to be the case last season before Jones suffered a pair of concussions that ended his season early. But that injury issue was an outlier for Jones, who had played in all but one game during his career prior to 2022.

The thought was Jones would remain in Tennessee if he didn’t retire, so that’s why this move is surprising. Now, Jones becomes one of the best options at center in free agency and the Titans have yet another massive hole to fill upfront.

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Titans offseason preview at OL: Rebuilding the group upfront

A look at the Titans’ offensive line situation ahead of free agency and what the team might do in 2023.

Aside from maybe quarterback should the Tennessee Titans decide to make a change, the biggest position of need going into this offseason is no doubt the offensive line.

Tennessee’s group upfront was putrid in 2022, partly because of injuries that left an already lackluster group even shorter on talent.

After Taylor Lewan tore his ACL, the Titans deployed Dennis Daley at left tackle and the results were disastrous. Things weren’t much better next to him, as Aaron Brewer struggled at left guard, also.

Rookie Nicholas Petit-Frere wasn’t very good at right tackle, either, and the two best players upfront, Ben Jones and Nate Davis, missed a handful of contests each due to injury.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Titans might have to replace up to four starters upfront depending on what happens. We’ll take a look at that and more in our latest offseason preview for the offensive line.

Best photos of Titans from 2023 Pro Bowl Games

The best photos of Titans players from the 2023 Pro Bowl Games.

The first-ever Pro Bowl Games concluded on Sunday with the Eli Manning-led NFC defeating the Peyton Manning-led AFC after a week of competitions.

You can check out more information on the 2023 Pro Bowl Games right here. We also have Titans highlights from Thursday here, and from Sunday here. Also, Jeffery Simmons was mic’d up, which you can check out here.

Some of the Titans highlights over the course of the week saw players taking part in a floatie challenge that Ben Jones won and Jeffery Simmons tried to cheat in.

We also saw Derrick Henry score a touchdown while almost running into Jones during one of the flag football games, and we saw Morgan Cox come up big in the event he took part in.

Now, the best photos of Titans from the week-long event.

Ben Jones overcomes Jeffery Simmons cheating to win pool floatie challenge

Big Jeff was on the struggle bus in the challenge and even tried to cheat.

We all know how good Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones is on the football field, but did you know he’s elite at inflating pool floaties?

While at the Pro Bowl Games this week, Jones squared off with teammates in the pool floatie challenge, and the veteran lineman made mince meat out of his competition.

Jones, long snapper Morgan Cox, running back Derrick Henry and defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons all took part in the event, with the Titans center coming away with the easy victory.

But it wasn’t without some controversy, as Simmons snatched Jones’ floatie and tried to squeeze the air out of it in what was a hilarious exchange between the teammates.

While Cox and Jones were successful, it wasn’t as easy for Simmons and Henry, and especially for the former.

As someone who has blown up plenty of pool floaties for my kids over the years, I can feel the pain Henry and Simmons are going through. It’s a bit harder than it looks, and if you aren’t careful you can damn-near pass out.

After seeing the performances of Henry and Simmons, head coach Mike Vrabel must make improving their floatie skills a point of emphasis this offseason.

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Titans’ Ben Jones talks future in the NFL, first Pro Bowl

Titans C Ben Jones talked about making his first Pro Bowl, as well as what the future might hold for his career in 2023.

Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones is making his first career appearance at the Pro Bowl in 2023, which is long overdue after having an impressive career over 11 seasons.

Jones has consistently been one of the better centers in the NFL during his time in Nashville, as well as one of the most durable, as he’s only missed multiple games in a season once, which came in 2022.

Unfortunately, Jones suffered multiple concussions over the course of the campaign, which ultimately ended his season after just 12 games. Prior to 2022, Jones had missed just one game over his entire career.

The multiple concussions has led Titans fans and media to speculate that perhaps the 33-year-old might hang up his cleats.

Jones, who has one more year left on his contract, says he wants to keep playing, but only if he can maintain the high level of performance we’ve grown accustomed to over the years.

“My mindset now is: It’s an offseason, so how do I prepare like a normal offseason?” Jones said, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “It’s getting some surgeries, getting healthy. So, when [training] camp comes around, if I am able to go and ready to roll, I am able to go out there and do it.

“My whole thing is: Spend time with the family, get healthy, and get ready to play football like I always do. If I am able to still play at a high level, I would love to keep playing. If not, grandfather time does happen, and we’ll see what is best for our family.”

As far as the Pro Bowl is concerned, Jones says he’s honored to be taking part in his first

“I’ve played in this league now 11 years, so getting this opportunity to fellowship with these guys and being around all these guys who all work so hard, it has been amazing,” Jones said. “You want to win things as a team, but being named to the Pro Bowl, it is a great honor to be acknowledged for this.

“And it means a little more at the end of your career because it shows you put some consistency together, doing it for this long of a time. Just getting rewarded here at the end is special.”

Jones’ decision will be a big one.

If he returns, the Titans keep their stalwart on an offensive line that needs a revamp and will only have to replace two to three spots, depending on if Nate Davis leaves in free agency.

If Jones retires, the Titans could have up to four spots to fill upfront, which is less than ideal for a team that won’t exactly be flush with cap space.

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Highlights of Titans from 2023 Pro Bowl Games on Thursday

A look at some of the highlights of Titans players from the 2023 Pro Bowl Games events on Thursday.

The first events of the 2023 Pro Bowl Games took place on Thursday, with a total of three Tennessee Titans players taking part with their fellow NFL players.

There are four Titans at the Pro Bowl in total, a list that includes running back Derrick Henry, long snapper Morgan Cox, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and center Ben Jones.

Henry, Cox and Simmons were initially voted in, while Jones is serving as a replacement for Kansas City Chiefs center, Creed Humphrey.

Henry took part in the “Lightning Round” event along with Simmons and Jones, both of whom are also taking part in the “Move the Chains” event. Cox is a participant in the “Kick Tac Toe” challenge.

On Thursday, Henry, Jones and Simmons took part in the “Lightning Round” event, which the AFC won. The other two challenges featuring Titans will take place on Sunday. You can check out the results here.

Now, a look at some of the highlights.

Which Pro Bowl events will Titans players take part in?

A look at the Pro Bowl events Titans players will be taking part in this week.

The 2023 Pro Bowl Games are set to take this week in Las Vegas, and three Tennessee Titans players will be attending.

The three Titans are running back Derrick Henry, long snapper Morgan Cox, defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and center Ben Jones. Henry and Cox were initially voted in, while Jones and Simmons were added as replacements.

The Pro Bowl Games will feature a week of skills competitions pitting AFC and NFC players against one another, which will replace the traditional contest after years of concerns over player safety.

The week will culminate with three flag football contests on Sunday, Feb. 5, and the scores from all events throughout the week will be added together to determine which conference is the winner.

Now, here’s a look at which events Titans players will be taking part in, and when those events are set to take place. We’ll also include a description for each, which comes from NFL.com.

Titans’ Ben Jones named to 2023 Pro Bowl roster

This is Ben Jones’ first Pro Bowl appearance.

Tennessee Titans center Ben Jones will serve as a Pro Bowl replacement for Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, it was announced on Monday. This is Jones’ first Pro Bowl appearance.

Of course, Humphrey won’t be taking part in the event because his team is in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs topped the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night, setting themselves up for a meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The veteran was Tennessee’s best offensive lineman in 2022. Unfortunately, he saw his season end early after 12 games following multiple concussions.

Prior to 2022, Jones had missed just one game in 10 seasons, which came in 2019 and was also the result of a concussion.

As a result of the two concussions he suffered in 2022, many have speculated that the 33-year-old might retire. Jones remains under contract for 2023 and will account for a cap hit of $8.2 million.

You can get all the information for the 2023 Pro Bowl Games right here.

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Titans place Ben Jones on injured reserve among 3 moves

The Titans have lost yet another key player to injury.

The Tennessee Titans already struggling offensive line took yet another major hit on Thursday after the team placed center Ben Jones on injured reserve because of a concussion.

In addition, the Titans announced they placed cornerback Terrance Mitchell on injured reserve, and signed center Daniel Munyer to the active roster.

The concussion is Jones’ second in the span of a month. He also missed Weeks 11 and 12 with the same injury. With what we know about head injuries in this day and age, we just hope Jones is OK.

On the football side of things, this is an absolute disaster for the Titans. Jones was the best player upfront on an already putrid Tennessee offensive line.

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As far as Jones’ replacement is concerned, chances are it’ll be either Corey Levin or Aaron Brewer. If Brewer moves to center, Levin would slide in at left guard in place of him.

Making matters worse, right guard Nate Davis has been ruled out for Week 16. Look for the trio of Brewer, Levin and Jordan Roos to fill the voids, one way or another.

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