Tag: Brett Kern

Titans great Brett Kern talks possibility of coming out of retirement to replace Ryan Stonehouse

Would Brett Kern come out of retirement to help the Titans after Ryan Stonehouse’s injury? He didn’t exactly say no.

Upon learning of punter Ryan Stonehouse’s season-ending injury, Tennessee Titans fans and media alike wondered aloud about possibly reuniting with franchise great, Brett Kern, who retired this offseason.

The idea certainly makes sense, as Kern still lives in Nashville and is less than a year removed from having played in a game with the Philadelphia Eagles, the team he signed with late last year after the Titans cut him for Stonehouse in August.

Kern clearly struggled in his final season, with the 37-year-old totaling a career-low 36.6 yards per punt in four regular season games with Philly. He was, however, better in the playoffs, where he sported an average of 44.1.

Truth be told, the Titans don’t need a world-beater back there, as this team is firmly in position to miss the playoffs once again. I do think Kern would still be a better option than most.

In the wake of Stonehouse’s injury, Kern was a guest on the “Chase and Big Joe Show” on 102.5 The Game on Monday and was asked about the possibility of returning.

Kern doesn’t sound like a guy who is keen on coming out of retirement, but he didn’t exactly say no, either, with the franchise great leaving it at, “we’ll see.”

“I’m in great basketball shape right now, playing a lot of basketball,” Kern said. “But as far as punting the football, I retired for a reason, so I haven’t touched an NFL ball since the Super Bowl week of last year.

“When (the Stonehouse injury) happened yesterday, my kids were like ‘let’s go outside and punt some footballs, dad. Who knows? You might get a call.’ So, I’m out there, still in my church clothes and in my boots that I wore to church, just fooling around, punting, my son’s trying to catch them. It was a good time, but then I woke up this morning and I then remembered why I retired because I was sore just from the 15 punts I had with a junior ball.”

When pressed a bit about not giving a yes or no answer, Kern replied, “I don’t know what’s going on with the whole situation, but we’ll see.”

If both sides are interested, the Titans would need Kern for at least five games. But there’s also the possibility that Stonehouse’s injury is serious enough to the point he has to miss more contests in 2024.

I don’t think there’s a single Titans fan who wouldn’t want to see Kern get the job once again, even if it’s just for the five games. If nothing else, he can get the proper send-off he deserves, something Titans fans weren’t really able to give him because of how his time with the team ended.

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Should Titans put Brett Kern in Ring of Honor?

Shaun Calderon shares his thoughts on whether or not the Titans should Brett Kern in the Ring of Honor.

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If there’s one gripe I personally have when it comes to the Tennessee Titans’ organization, it’s the fact that the team rarely honors the truly great players of the last 24 years.

To be fair, the franchise under Amy Adams-Strunk has done a much better job of honoring the players of the past in the form of homecoming week, 12th Titan, etc.

Yet, for whatever reason, when it comes to adding anybody to the Ring of Honor and retiring their numbers, the team practically refuses to celebrate anyone outside of those who contributed to the early Titans teams.

Obviously, retiring numbers is an entirely different conversation since technically there are only 100 available at the very most.

Therefore, that type of honor should be reserved for the true legends of the franchise, such as Warren Moon, Steve McNair, Eddie George and, eventually, Derrick Henry.

Tennessee’s Ring of Honor has several worthy candidates who continuously get overlooked for whatever reason. Unfortunately, that waiting room may have just grown by one more now that Titans legendary punter Brett Kern officially announced his retirement.

After 15 seasons (13 in Tennessee), the Toledo product was given a worthy send-off earlier this week that included lengthy tributes and his own press conference.

During his peak, Kern was a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro who had mastered the ability to direct his kicks wherever he pleased.

On top of being a sniper with his leg, more often than not, he was as clutch as anybody whenever the team needed him to be. Kern even played a large role in going up to New England and ending arguably the greatest dynasty in all of professional sports during the Titans’ 2019 Wild Card win over the Pats.

Logan Ryan may have gotten the final interception, but make no mistake about it, it was Kern’s 10-second punt that pinned the Patriots inside their one-yard line that officially put the final nail in the dynasty’s coffin.

That type of moment, combined with Kern’s laundry list of accomplishments, should be everything he needs to find himself in the Titans’ Ring of Honor.

The real question is, does he deserve it more than former Titans who are also in the aforementioned waiting room, like Chris Johnson, Keith Bulluck, Jevon Kearse, Michael Roos and Taylor Lewan?

In my opinion, all of those players, along with Kern, should at least be in the Ring of Honor, but whether or not they will be remains to be seen.

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Watch: Current, former Titans congratulate Brett Kern on retirement

Current and former Titans congratulated Brett Kern on his retirement in a lengthy video.

Tennessee Titans legendary punter Brett Kern is getting the proper send-off into retirement that he deserves after an impressive career that saw him become one of the best punters in the NFL.

In fact, there were some years when you could even make the argument that he was among the best players on the team.

The three-time Pro Bowler was a sniper with his leg due to his masterful directional kicking ability. Kern had the rare ability to use coffin kicks to consistently pin the opposition inside the 10-yard line as long as he was within a reasonable range.

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This underrated skill set is one of the many reasons why Jurrell Casey called Kern a “special piece to the defense” during the Titans’ lengthy tribute to the former All-Pro punter that saw several familiar faces congratulate Kern on his retirement. Check it out below.

The video includes individual tributes from the following people:

  • Mike Vrabel
  • Ryan Succop
  • Sam Koch
  • Morgan Cox
  • Ryan Tannehill
  • Derrick Henry
  • Kevin Byard
  • Craig Aukerman
  • Ben Jones
  • Taylor Lewan
  • Ryan Stonehouse
  • Darren Bates
  • Beau Brinkley
  • Delanie Walker
  • Michael Griffin
  • Jason McCourty
  • Stephen Gostkowski
  • Dustin Colquitt
  • Marc Mariani
  • Steve Hoffman
  • Alan Lowry
  • Ken Amato
  • Tim Shaw
  • Wesley Woodyard
  • Jurrell Casey
  • The Bironas Brothers
  • The Kelly Family
  • Bryce Kern
  • Anelle, Quinn, and Tiffany Kern

Kern may not have been someone we liked to see play because that meant the Titans were giving the ball back, but more often than not, we at least knew he was going to make things hard on the other team.

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Titans great Brett Kern finishes among highest-earning punters in NFL history

Titans great Brett Kern is among the highest-earning punters in NFL history.

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Tennessee Titans legendary punter Brett Kern officially announced his retirement on Thursday, with the team subsequently holding his farewell press conference shortly after.

As if the stadium banners that hung outside Nissan Stadium for years weren’t enough proof, the fact that a punter had a lengthy retirement press conference to begin with should tell non-Titans fans just how important and popular Kern truly was in Tennessee.

Wednesday’s ceremony was broadcasted to the fanbase through the team’s official website/social media accounts, and was attended by local media members, as well as Kern’s former teammates, former coaches, team personnel, family, and friends.

Kern’s NFL success translated to his pocketbook as well. The three-time Pro Bowler earned approximately $29.3 million over his 15 seasons in the NFL, the sixth-most in NFL history for a punter, per Spotrac.

The former first-ream All-Pro punter ended his legendary career with an impressive 46,136 total yards and an average of 45.9 yards per punt.

Next up: Titans ring of honor?

If you ask me, that decision should be a no brainer

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Photos, highlights from Titans great Brett Kern’s retirement presser

Check out the photos and highlights of Titans great Brett Kern’s retirement press conference.

Former Tennessee Titans punter and franchise great Brett Kern made his retirement official on Thursday afternoon, with the team holding a press conference to celebrate one of the more beloved figures in team history.

Kern spent 13 of his 15 seasons in the NFL with the Titans, and during that time he was one of the very best at his position, notching three Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro nod.

Kern, who was acquired off waivers from the Denver Broncos in 2009, was always a bright spot for the franchise, especially during some of its darker years.

As a result, there is no fan base on this planet that appreciates such an overlooked position.

The Grand Island, New York native will go down as one of the greats in Titans history and should have his own spot in the team’s Ring of Honor down the road.

Keep scrolling for the photos and videos from Kern’s press conference.

Brett Kern’s retirement brings back bad Josh McDaniels memories

Brett Kern was averaging 46.1 yards per punt and the Broncos were 6-0 when Josh McDaniels cut him in 2009. Kern went on to make 3 Pro Bowls.

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Josh McDaniels’ short tenure with the Denver Broncos from 2009-2010 was a disaster highlighted (lowlighted?) by many poor decisions.

Among the coach’s mistakes was cutting Brett Kern six games into the punter’s second season. After playing college football at Toledo, Kern signed with the Broncos and then-coach Mike Shanahan as a college free agent in 2008.

Kern showed promise as a rookie — his 46.7 yards per punt average ranked fifth among punters with at least 45 kicks in 2008. The following year, Kern averaged 46.1 yards per punt as the Broncos started the season 6-0.

Kern had a 46-yard punt returned for a touchdown by Darren Sproles and two punts that went for touchbacks — including a 39-yarder — in a 34-23 win over the San Diego Chargers in Week 6 of the 2009 season.

It was a bad game for the punter, but just one bad game. McDaniels made an incredibly short-sighted decision and cut Kern after that win in San Diego. (Later in his career, McDaniels apologized to Kern for that decision.)

Following Kern’s departure, the Broncos went 2-8 and finished the season with an 8-8 record after a 6-0 start. Kern was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, who promptly won their next five games, helping Kern go 11-0 to begin the 2009 season.

Kern went on to play 12 more seasons in Tennessee, earning a first-team All-Pro nod (2019), a second-team All-Pro selection (2017) and three Pro Bowl selections (2017-19). He finished his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 before announcing his retirement this offseason following a 15-year career.

Kern bounced back from the coach’s poor decision and went on to have an excellent career. While the Titans had a decade of consistency at punter, the Broncos have gone through six different punters after Kern was cut in 2009, marking yet another reminder of how bad a coach McDaniels was in Denver.

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Titans fans, media react to Brett Kern retiring

How Titans fans and media reacted to Brett Kern’s retirement.

Tennessee Titans great Brett Kern will hang up his cleats after 15 seasons in the NFL. Kern and the Titans will make his retirement official on Thursday during a press conference that is set to start at 1 p.m. CDT.

Kern spent 13 of his 15 seasons in the NFL with the Titans, who originally picked him up off the scrap heap after the Denver Broncos waived him in 2009.

Tennessee signing Kern proved to be one of the great steals in team history, as the Grand Island, New York native went on to become one of the best punters in the NFL during his time in Nashville.

Kern was particularly known for his sharpshooter accuracy, which enabled him to routinely pin opponents deep with precise angled punts that didn’t give teams a chance at a return.

Kern notched three Pro Bowls and one First-Team All-Pro, and he finishes as the franchise’s leader in punts (923), gross punting average (45.9), net punting average (40.8) and punts placed inside the 20 (373).

As you’d expect with a player who was as beloved as Kern, there was no shortage of love and admiration for the franchise great coming from Titans fans and media. Here’s a look at the reactions that came from Twitter.

Titans great Brett Kern announces his retirement

Titans great Brett Kern has announced his retirement from the NFL.

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Tennessee Titans great and former punter Brett Kern has announced his retirement from the NFL, the team revealed on Thursday morning.

Kern no doubt endeared himself to fans over his 13 years with the Titans, but he was also routinely one of the best punters in the NFL in that span. There’s zero question he’ll be talked about among the franchise’s greats for years to come.

“It’s been hard,” Kern said of his retirement, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “It’s also brought back a lot of memories, too. You want to be able to thank a ton of people who helped you over the years, and all the memories from games, from teammates and coaches, conversations in the locker rooms, and road trips.

“To try and get 15 years into 3-4 pages on Microsoft Word, it’s been pretty challenging. It’s been emotional, too, just thinking back at certain memories. It’s also emotional just because there’s such a sense of gratitude to a lot of people who have helped me get this far. And, just knowing it’s closing a chapter on a really important part of my life and starting a new one.”

Kern and the Titans will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. CDT on Thursday to make his retirement official.

Updated list of Eagles free agents who remain unsigned

We’re taking an updated look at the Philadelphia Eagles’ list of remaining unsigned 2023 NFL Free Agents

The Philadelphia Eagles are losing several players to free agency.

Two starters in the secondary (C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Marcus Epps), both starting linebackers (T.J. Edwards, Kyzir White), and one all-world defensive tackle (Javon Hargrave) is exiting for greener pastures on the open market.

With ten players signing with other teams, here’s an updated look at the remaining Eagles free agents per Over The Cap.

Ex-Titans A.J. Brown, Brett Kern fall short in Super Bowl 57

Former Titans Brett Kern and A.J. Brown came up short in their bid for a Super Bowl ring.

Former Tennessee Titans punter Brett Kern and wide receiver A.J. Brown came up short as their Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday night, 38-35.

The game itself was one of the better Super Bowls we’ve seen in a long time, but unfortunately a questionable penalty late helped changed the course of it. That’s another discussion for another day.

Kern was inactive for the game in favor of Arryn Siposs, but the Eagles punter did have a bad punt off his leg that helped setup a key return that eventually led to a touchdown.

Brown had himself a very good night, but it could’ve been legendary.

The Ole Miss product tallied a 45-yard touchdown score in the first half and finished with six grabs for 96 yards in total, but he was mostly quiet in the second half as the Chiefs climbed their way back.

Tennessee’s former second-round pick did not lead the Eagles in receiving yards, though. Instead, it was DeVonta Smith, who had a team-high 100 in the losing effort.

As Brown shined in the Super Bowl, former Titans general manager Jon Robinson was absolutely roasted for the trade once again.

With Kern and Brown falling short, the only former Titans player taking home a ring this year is Chiefs defensive back and Tennessee native, Ugo Amadi, who was inactive for this game.

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