Titans to release Brett Kern

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — On Monday, the Tennessee Titans informed Brett Kern, that the team will be releasing the veteran punter.

Kern had been the Titans’ current longest-tenured player, playing 13 years with the team.

In a statement released by the organization, Titans General Manager, Jon Robinson, shared his thoughts on the long-time punter:

“Brett embodies everything we look for in players for the Tennessee Titans.  He has been at the top of his game for a long time in this league, has been an outstanding leader for us, and has been an excellent representation of the Titans in our community. I’m blessed to have worked with him, and on behalf of the entire organization, we wish him all the best moving forward.”

This leaves Ryan Stonehouse, the undrafted rookie out of Colorado State, as the team’s only punter on the roster. Stonehouse handled punting and holding for the Titans on Saturday in the team’s preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals.

You can read the full release on Kern issued by the Titans organization below:

“In 13 seasons with the Titans (2009 to 2021), Kern became the most accomplished punter in the team’s history and one of the franchise’s longest-tenured players. He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2017 to 2019, was named first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 2019, and made second-team All-Pro in 2017. 

After being acquired off waivers from the Denver Broncos on Oct. 27, 2009, he appeared in 197 career regular-season games with the Titans, ranking third for the franchise behind only Bruce Matthews (296) and Elvin Bethea (210). No player has played more games for the franchise during its “Titans era,” which began in 1999. His run of 177 consecutive games played with the club from 2009 to 2020 was the second-longest streak in Titans/Oilers history behind Matthews’ 232 consecutive games from 1987 to 2001.

With 13 seasons played in a Titans uniform, he tied Brad Hopkins for the third-most in team history, trailing only Matthews (19) and Bethea (16). Kern is one of two players (Derrick Morgan) who has played for every head coach the Titans have had since the move to Tennessee.

Kern established franchise records in nearly every major punting category, including career punts (923), career average (45.9), season average (49.7, 2017), career net average (40.8), season net average (44.6, 2017), career punts placed inside the 20 (373) and punts placed inside the 20 in a season (39, 2018). Additionally, he set team benchmarks for punting average in a game (60.5, vs. Pittsburgh on Oct. 25, 2020) and net punting average in a game (50.2, at Miami on Oct. 8, 2017), and he tied Jim Norton’s record for the franchise’s longest single punt with a 79-yarder against Indianapolis on Dec. 28, 2014.

Prior to Kern’s arrival, no punter for the organization had averaged 40.0 net punting yards in a season. Kern produced seven such seasons with the Titans. He also owns seven of the club’s top 10 gross punting season averages, including the top three.

Kern also played a key role in four playoff appearances for the Titans, totaling 34 punts in seven postseason games. Of all punters in NFL postseason history with at least 25 attempts, Kern ranks third in career average (46.2), second in net average (41.9) and first in percent of punts placed inside the 20 (58.8).

Since he entered the NFL with the Broncos in 2008, Kern’s career statistics include 996 punts, a 45.9-yard average, a 40.5 net average and 395 punts placed inside the 20. Only Andy Lee (1,010) and Sam Koch (1,004) have recorded more punts than Kern during that span.

The Grand Island, N.Y., native was originally signed by the Broncos as a rookie free agent in 2008 following four seasons at the University of Toledo.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.