The Tennessee Titans have been a disaster on special teams this season. Mistakes have been occurring weekly in all phases, but one of those areas came to a screeching halt over the weekend. Rookie returner Jha'Quan Jackson lost a fumble for the second consecutive contest in Sunday's embarrassing defeat to the Washington Commanders.
Head coach Brian Callahan was displeased with Jackson's lack of ball security. Speaking with the media on Monday, Callahan insinuated Jackson won't be the returner against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14. The Titans are evaluating all options, both internally and externally, including practice squad mainstay Mason Kinsey, who has consistently been in the mix for return-game duties in recent offseasons.
Callahan benched Jackson in the kickoff return game following his first-quarter fumble. It represented Jackson's fifth fumble of the season. The Titans have been extremely fortunate to recover three of those missteps, but the Commanders converted that opportunity into seven points on Sunday.
In an unexpected turn of events, Jackson returned to the game later as the punt returner. Already leading 28-7 in the third quarter, the Commanders punted on 4th-and-13. Jackson fielded the punt on Tennessee's 29-yard line, returning it eight yards to the 37.
Callahan later explained that the Titans didn't have any in-game alternatives in the punt return game. Jackson returned, despite knowing he was benched as the kickoff returner, because the Titans felt they didn't have another choice. Who's fault is that? What does that do to his confidence, knowing he’s being trotted out there for no other reason? Shouldn't the Titans have had another option, considering Jackson had already fumbled four times earlier this season? A fifth fumble, and the successive benching, shouldn't have come as a shocker to Callahan and special teams coordinator Colt Anderson.
Tyler Boyd would have been an option to field punts, but not return them, per Callahan. Given that ball security has been a recurring problem for the Titans in the return game, couldn't the Titans have instructed Boyd to call a fair catch if he's trusted to field punts? Doesn't that qualify as a better alternative than risking another Jackson turnover?
Julius Chestnut replaced Jackson as the primary kickoff returner. He's averaging a stellar 27 yards per 10 returns this season, but lacks the vision and burst to be a real difference maker. Four players returned punts for the Titans in 2023, but Kinsey is the only player on that list that remains with the organization. Eric Garror returned a team-high 21 punts. The Titans released him in August, and he's since been released from the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad as well.
