Clock ticking as the Tennessee Titans look for a new kicker once again
The clock is ticking for the Tennessee Titans to find a new kicker yet again.
They tried veteran Michael Badgley in their preseason finale after waiving a pair of undrafted kickers, who competed throughout the offseason only to cut him Sunday. The Titans open the season Sept. 10 at New Orleans and are looking once again for a kicker to fill a spot that has been an issue since 2019.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel called kicker a “fluid situation" on Monday.
“We’ll keep looking through a lot of different options and ... we’ll see who kind of comes available and work through some things,” Vrabel said. "We’re obviously are going to need one.”
Badgley lasted exactly as long as he did in his first stint with Tennessee — cut after one game. At least in his previous stop in Nashville, he played in a regular- season game in the 2021 season opener.
This time, Badgley was cut Sunday after the 23-7 win over the Patriots on Friday night in the preseason finale. Badgley banked in his first of three made field goals off the left upright and hooked a 39-yarder wide left in that game.
The position of kicker has become a carousel for Tennessee after the job was held for years by the likes of Al Del Greco, Joe Nedney, Rob Bironas and Ryan Succop. Three different kickers played for the Titans last season, Randy Bullock was one of two used in 2021 with Stephen Gostkowski among two in 2020.
Bullock was a salary cap casualty this offseason with Tennessee needing to free up space for free agency.
This franchise’s issues at that position started in 2019 after an injury to Succop. The Titans wound up having five different kickers on the roster that season. Finding a dependable kicker has been quite the challenge for Tennessee.
“Let me know when Justin Tucker’s available,” Vrabel said of the Baltimore kicker who led the NFL with 37 made field goals last season.
Longtime NFL veteran Mason Crosby and Succop both live in the Nashville area. Crosby shared video of himself on social media kicking at a local high school. The Titans will be scanning the waiver wire closely over the next couple of days with Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT the deadline for all teams to trim rosters to 53.
Cleveland traded with the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday for kicker Dustin Hopkins with Cade York struggling in his second year with the Browns. That cost Cleveland a seventh-round pick in 2025.
York could be an option for the Titans. The Browns will be waiving him Tuesday at the NFL deadline, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Browns have not finalized all of their cuts.
“We’re going to need one," Vrabel said. "And we’re obviously searching like ... a handful of teams.”
NOTES: WR Treylon Burks returned to practice at least in individual drills open to reporters Monday for the first time since hurting his left knee Aug. 16 in a joint practice with Minnesota. ... The Titans also activated OL Dillon Radunz off the physically unable to perform list. Radunz was placed on injured reserve with a torn left ACL last Dec. 21. Radunz said it was easier to recover this time with all the resources available in the NFL compared to when he tore his right ACL playing in college at North Dakota State. ... Vrabel said Chris Hubbard will be the starting right tackle to begin the season.
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed.
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