One Last Player Finally Passes His Physical

Guard/center Aaron Brewer had been on the Non-Football Injury list since the start of training camp.

NASHVILLE – There were five players who failed their physicals on the first day of Tennessee Titans training camp.

Thursday, the last of those finally passed.

Guard/center Aaron Brewer was removed from the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list and added to the active roster in one of several moves franchise officials made two days before the final preseason contest.

Defensive lineman Kyle Peko was placed on injured reserve, and three others – running back Javian Hawkins, defensive back Nate Brooks and linebacker Cassah Maluia – were added to provide some much-needed depth as the coronavirus continued to spread among players and coaches. Three players, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, were moved to the Reserve-COVID 19 list.

Brewer was a revelation last season as an undrafted rookie out of Texas State. Even without a preseason, he made the 53-man roster at the start of the regular season, and when left guard Rodger Saffold missed a game because of injury (Week 11 at Baltimore), coaches tapped Brewer to start in his place. He ultimately appeared in 12 games during the regular season but was unavailable for the playoff loss to Baltimore because he was on the COVID list.

By passing his physical, he is now allowed to practice with the team. First-round draft pick Caleb Farley also started camp on the NFI list while three others, linebacker Bud Dupree, tackle Ty Sambrailo and running back Jeremy McNichols, all returned to health and to full activity within a matter of days or weeks.

Hawkins, an undrafted rookie out of Louisville, was cut by the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, when NFL roster limits were reduced from 85 to 80. He carried five times for two yards and caught one pass for two yards in Tennessee’s victory at Atlanta in the preseason opener.

Brooks has appeared in four games during his NFL career, three with Miami in 2019 and one with Baltimore last season. He was a starter in two of the game he played for the Dolphins. He spent most of the offseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who released him on Sunday. He registered one tackle against the Titans in Saturday’s preseason game at Tampa.

Maluia was a sixth-round pick by New England in the 2020 NFL Draft and played nine games, primarily on special teams, as a rookie. The Patriots released him on Tuesday.

Tennessee currently has 79 players on its active roster. The limit will drop to the regular-season maximum of 53 on Aug. 31.