Titans release potential starting offensive lineman due to fighting spirit

The 27-year-old was involved in a pair of scuffles during training camp practices this week, as noted by ESPN’s Turron Davenport. Jones took part in a confrontation with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons on Tuesday, then executed a crackback block earlier Thursday. The dust-ups caused by his actions will see his time in Nashville cut short with one year remaining on his contract.

Jones was due $2.45M this season, but moving on post-June 1 will allow the Titans to see $2M in cap savings. That financial benefit will be balanced against the loss of a potential right tackle starter to open the season. The gambling suspension handed down to Nicholas Petit-Frere will leave him unavailable for the first six weeks of the campaign. Jones, who started seven of his 36 career games with the Seattle Seahawks, had been receiving first-team reps during practice as a contender to fill in for Petit-Frere in the short term.

That will no longer be the case, but Tennessee does have recent signing Chris Hubbard available to win the RT job. The former Pittsburgh Steeler and Cleveland Brown could have a clear path to the starting spot with first-round rookie Peter Skoronski being used at guard and Jones now no longer in the picture. The latter will need to move quickly to find a new home with training camps well underway.

Jones did not play in 2022, after spending much of the season on IR. That missed action, coupled with the reason for his Titans release, will surely hinder his market as a free agent. Finding an opportunity as a swing tackle will likely be the best-case scenario for the former fifth-rounder. The Titans, meanwhile, will move forward with what they hope will be more orderly practice sessions and a sufficient number of contingencies regarding their offensive-line situation.