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Tennessee Titans kicker Greg Joseph is currently in the midst of a competition for the starting job with Tucker McCann — and it’s a competition that could get a lot more interesting real soon.
That’s because the Titans are working out a pair of veteran kickers in Stephen Gostkowski and Stephen Hauschka, and one of them could be added to the mix in due time.
However, no matter who is competing against him, Joseph feels he’s really just competing against himself, as he said on Sunday after practice.
.@Titans kicker Greg Joseph said he's only focused on himself in the kicking competition.
"I never gauge the competition because to me the competition is between me and me," he said.
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) August 30, 2020
Joseph and McCann have been “neck-and-neck” throughout camp, according to special teams coordinator, Craig Aukerman, and the numbers certainly bear that out.
According to an unofficial count through Sunday, Joseph has made 43-of-50 attempts, while McCann has nearly matched him, making 43-of-49 kicks.
Joseph feels like he’s having a good camp and is trying to do everything necessary “to make sure I’m here to stay.”
.@Titans kicker Greg Joseph: Camp is going well, hitting the ball well. Feels like he's competing against himself. Said he's working hard "to make sure I'm here to stay."
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) August 30, 2020
However, earning the starting job is more than just about making kicks in practice. There’s also an “eye test” element involved, and so far it doesn’t seem like McCann or Joseph are passing that test.
Greg Joseph and Tucker McCann are making most of their kicks in practice, but they always look really ugly and have way too much movement. A concern, for sure. #Titans
— Luke Worsham (@luke_worsham) August 28, 2020
That could be one of the reasons why the Titans are giving the aforementioned veterans a look.
Not to mention, the lack of experience McCann and Joseph bring to the table is troubling for a team that finished with the worst field goal success rate in the NFL last season.
Should either Hauschka or Gostkowski get signed, they’d immediately be the favorites to win the job thanks to their extensive history of being reliable to elite kickers.
And that could also spell the end of Joseph’s short tenure in Nashville.
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