Morgan Cox probably is not the first name that comes to mind when the topic of the best Tennessee Titans players comes to mind.
The veteran long-snapper’s reputation among his peers speaks volumes, though.
The NFL Players’ Association released its first-ever All-Pro team Wednesday, and Cox was the only member of the Titans included. This recognition comes after his selection to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time (his first with Tennessee).
The NFLPA All-Pro team, which included one player at every position plus two core special teamers, was determined by a vote of the players, who were allowed to vote for only those who play the same position or those they play against. For example, wide receivers can only vote for other wide receivers or defensive backs. Players could not vote for themselves or their teammates. To be eligible, players had to appear in at least 10 of this season’s first 15 games.
“Every active NFL player had the opportunity to cast their vote to decide who is really the best at each position,” NFLPA President J.C. Tretter wrote on the organization’s website. “We compete against each other all season long, watching hours and hours of film week after week after week, and yet we have never had an opportunity to truly use our expertise to select the best of us.
“We think it is important that players take the time to define ourselves, because so far, we have allowed everyone else to either pick or dilute our voices.”
The Associated Press All-Pro team, which is recognized as the official honor, will be released Friday.
Cox was the snapper for every Titans punt and place kick this season, and all of his snaps were handled by punter Ryan Stonehouse, who also was the holder on placekicks. Cox was credited with one tackle on special teams and was called for one penalty.
He signed with Tennessee in 2021 after nine years with the Baltimore Ravens. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a 2019 Associated Press All-Pro while with the Ravens.
Running back Derrick Henry lost out to Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs, the NFL’s leading rusher. Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams and Chris Jones were named interior defensive linemen over Jeffery Simmons, and Pittsburgh’s Minkah Fitzpatrick was named free safety over Kevin Byard.
“Players vote for the Pro Bowl, but only get (one-third) of the say,” Tretter wrote. “The ‘NFL Top 100’ is another list where we have input, but the setup is flawed because it compares players in a way that belies the sport and players do not really take it seriously. Also, how can one fairly compare different positions to each other in a linear list -- for instance, a QB versus an offensive guard?
“The Players’ All-Pro is the only team voted on exclusively by players, in a way that makes the most sense to the game of football -- and the response from our membership has been tremendous.”
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