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Often lost in the sauce of everything that went on with the Tennessee Titans in 2021 was the down year punter Brett Kern had.
Kern, who has always been as good and reliable as they come, missed three games due to injury for the second straight season after not having missed a single contest in any of his first 13 years in the NFL.
More importantly, he posted his worst gross (44.8) and net (40.4) punt yards average since the 2016 campaign, ranking 18th and 15th in those two categories, respectively.
Kern, who accounted for the second-biggest cap hit among punters in the NFL last season, was thought to be a cut candidate in 2022; however, the Titans were able to re-work his deal and lower his cap hit by $1 million.
While down at the owners meetings in Florida this week, head coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that 2021 wasn’t Kern’s best season, and he also stated that Tennessee needs to do a better job punting the football in 2022.
Vrabel: We have to punt the football better. Brett Kern didn't have his best season. We feel confident about the gunners we've added. #Titans
— Ben Arthur (@benyarthur) March 28, 2022
The Titans added a pair of players who have thrived as special teams gunners in the past in running back Trenton Cannon and defensive back A.J. Moore. Cannon could also factor in to the return game, and Moore will double as a reserve safety.
As for Kern, he could be looking at his last season in the two-tone blue. The 36-year-old will be in the final year of his contract in 2022.
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