The Tennessee Titans made a tough decision on Thursday, releasing offensive lineman Jamarco Jones after his second practice altercation in just one week.
The latest incident occurred during Thursday’s practice when Jones executed a crackback block on linebacker Chance Campbell, leading to a heated confrontation with fellow linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
The situation escalated quickly, with Al-Shaair confronting Jones face to face, and the two had to be separated by teammates and coaches. As the tension reached a boiling point, Jones was ultimately ejected from the practice session.
The #Titans have released RT Jamarco Jones after multiple training camp fights
He was ejected multiple times from #Titanscamp this week for fighting #NFL pic.twitter.com/ldbC02MYH6
— GameBlazers (@PlayGameBlazers) August 4, 2023
Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel addressed the media after the incident, expressing his disappointment with Jones’ actions.
“We don’t want to practice like that,” Vrabel said. “We talk all the time about being competitive and going to that line, and certainly not going to do anything that hurts the team. We don’t want to see that.”
This wasn’t the first time Jones found himself in a heated altercation during practice this week. On Tuesday, he engaged in a pushing match with defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, resulting in both players being sent off the field after yanking each other’s helmets.
The timing of these altercations couldn’t be worse for Jones, as he had been taking the majority of the first-team reps at right tackle since the start of training camp.
Vrabel and the Titans had high hopes for him to fill the position left vacant by Nicholas Petit-Frere, who is serving a six-game suspension due to a violation of the league’s gambling policy.
With Jones now out of the picture, the Titans have a few options to consider for the starting right tackle position. Veteran lineman Chris Hubbard, second-year lineman Andrew Rupcich, and rookies Jaelyn Duncan and John Ojukwu are the leading candidates vying for the spot.
During Tuesday’s practice, Hubbard received the bulk of the first-team reps, indicating that he might have an edge in the competition.
As the Titans move forward, they will undoubtedly focus on finding a player who can not only contribute effectively on the field but also maintain a level of discipline and play to the echo of the whistle, but not beyond.
What do you think of Vrabel’s decision to cut Jones?