The Titans are moving on from another of their starting offensive linemen. Not long after cutting Taylor Lewan, Tennessee is releasing veteran center Ben Jones, Buck Reising of AtoZsports.com reports.
Jones was with the Titans for the past seven seasons. He joined Lewan and Nate Davis in ending the season on IR. Each player is now off the Titans roster or could be soon, with Davis set for free agency Wednesday. The trio was with the Titans for a combined 20 seasons.
This news comes after Jones put retirement on the table earlier this offseason. Prior to missing five games last season, the 11-year veteran was an iron man for the organization. Jones missed just one game in his first six Titans slates, becoming a central part of Derrick Henry's two rushing titles and the Titans’ Mike Vrabel-era resurgence. Jones’ 108 starts at center are the most in Titans history.
Jones, 33, signed a third contract with the Titans in 2022, agreeing to terms on a two-year, $14M deal. The Titans will save $3.7M by moving Jones off the roster. Jones’ release follows a collection of cuts by new GM Ran Carthon, who said goodbye to Lewan, Robert Woods, Zach Cunningham and Randy Bullock over the past two weeks.
As the Titans made three journeys to the playoffs from 2019-21, Pro Football Focus rated Jones as a top-10 center in each campaign. Jones and Davis were there for almost all of Henry’s performances during his 2019 and 2020 rushing crowns, with Lewan beginning to battle injuries during this span. Both Jones and Davis helped Tennessee to the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2021. Last season, PFF rated Jones as the league’s No. 9 center, though he suffered two concussions during the campaign. The nature of these absences point to uncertainty about his going through with a 12th NFL season.
Tennessee initially brought in Jones during Jon Robinson's first offseason as GM (2016). That four-year, $17.5M agreement ended up being one of the best moves in Titans free-agency history, with Jones becoming a set-it-and-forget-it blocker with his second NFL franchise. The Texans initially drafted Jones in the fourth round out of Georgia back in 2012.
As far as centers go, this free-agency market houses a few starters. Connor McGovern, Bradley Bozeman, Garrett Bradbury, Ethan Pocic and Jake Brendel are set to hit the market soon. The Titans will have some options in replacing Jones, with Carthon having ties to Brandel due to their time with the 49ers. Teams can begin speaking with these snappers once the legal tampering period begins Monday afternoon. Jones, however, has a slight head-start due to this release. Being considered a street free agent, Jones can sign with another team immediately.
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