Another Titans' Specialist Goes on COVID Reserve List
NASHVILLE – A day after the Tennessee Titans placed their kicker on the COVID-19 reserve list, they did the same with their punter.
Brett Kern was removed from the active roster Tuesday because of issues related to the coronavirus. NFL rules in place this season prohibit a team from saying whether a player tested positive for the virus or experienced a high-risk exposure.
After the outbreak that took two dozen players and staff members out of action earlier this season, however, a player or two going on the COVID reserve list in consecutive days has an all too familiar feel.
Kicker Stephen Gostkowski was placed on that list Monday. Thus, Tennessee faces the possibility that it will be without its top two specialists for their final opportunity to clinch a playoff berth.
If Kern is unavailable for Sunday’s regular-season finale at Houston, the Titans once again will turn to Trevor Daniel to be their punter. Daniel did the job for two games in November when Kern was sidelined with a wrist injury. One of those games was a particularly forgettable performance against the Indianapolis Colts in which one of his punts went just 17 yards and another was blocked.
Daniel, who began his career with the Texans, was released on Nov. 25, when Kern returned to the active roster, and was re-signed to the practice squad a day later.
Kern is a three-time Pro Bowler and a 2019 All-Pro who has averaged 45.8 yards on 36 punts this season. Nearly two-thirds of his punts (21 of them) have ended up inside the opponent’s 20 and just three have been touchbacks.
Daniel averaged 39.3 yards on four kicks in his two appearances. He did not have any end up inside the 20 and zero touchbacks.
