'We did not want to lose him at all' - Previous Titans coaching staff regretted letting a former Tennessee Vols standout get away

A former Tennessee Vols standout from Nashville appeared to step into a dream situation in 2022.

Former Vols defensive back Theo Jackson, a Nashville native who played at Tennessee from 2017 to 2021, was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Jackson's time with the Titans, however, didn't last long.

The former Vol started his rookie season on the Titans' practice squad. Just a few weeks into the season, the Minnesota Vikings signed Jackson off the Titans' practice squad.

The Titans' previous coaching staff (Mike Vrabel and company were given the boot after the 2023 season) were hoping to sneak Jackson onto the team's practice squad. Minnesota, though, ruined those plans.

Jackson is now poised to be a key player in Minnesota’s defense as he enters his fourth season in the NFL.

The Athletic recently detailed Jackson's path from late round draft pick to key defensive player for the Vikings.

According to the story from The Athletic, the Titans saw Jackson during a joint training camp practice with the Vikings in 2023 and immediately regretted letting the former Tennessee standout slip away.

From The Athletic: “Is that Theo Jackson?” the staffer asked. A nod. Yes, Jackson, a safety, had just ranged from deep and deflected a pass. The Titans staffer winced. “We did not want to lose him,” they said. “At all.“

Jackson, a Nashville native and Tennessee Volunteers alumnus, had been a celebrated sixth-round pick for the local team the year before. His explosiveness metrics from the NFL Draft process weren’t eye-popping, but he had size, versatility, intriguing ball skills and enough speed. A training camp injury slowed his momentum, then the Titans cut him. They thought they’d be able to stash him on the practice squad. They thought wrong. The Vikings swooped in, plucking him for their 53-man roster.

Jackson signed a two-year extension with the Vikings worth $12.65 million earlier this year.

That's a tough one to swallow if you're a Vols/Titans fan.

The Titans don't seem to take many chances on former Vols. Letting a talented one slip away that's also from Nashville is certainly painful if you're a fan of both teams.