Former Titans CB Calls it a Career

Johnathan Joseph played seven games for Tennessee in 2020, which turned out to be the beginning of the end.

After 15 seasons in the National Football League, Johnathan Joseph has decided to call it a career.

The 37-year-old cornerback spent part of last season, which turned out to be his last, with the Tennessee Titans. He announced his retirement on Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

“In the summer of 2006, I signed my first NFL contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Fifteen years later, I can say I accomplished my childhood goal of making it to the NFL,” he wrote. “I will never forget as a kid telling my father I wanted to be in the NFL.”

Joseph played seven games (six starts) for the Titans in 2020. He struggled for the better part of the time with the team. Before the Titans released him in November, he registered just four passes defended, one interception and 24 total tackles. Opposing quarterbacks posted a rating of 119.5 when throwing Joseph’s way (with the Titans). He finished the 2020 season with the Arizona Cardinals.

Safety Kenny Vaccaro, who the Titans released this past March, tweeted, “My dawg! It was an absolute honor being your teammate, great player, even better person. One of the best to ever do it.”

Before last season, Joseph was among the most consistent defensive backs in the league.

Drafted by the Bengals in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, he spent his first five NFL seasons there. In 67 games (58 starts), he intercepted 14 passes, recovered three fumbles and had four defensive touchdowns in all. He intercepted a career-high six passes in 2009.

He then spent nine seasons with the Houston Texans (2011-19), where he played in 133 games with 128 starts. He registered 17 of his 32 career interceptions as a Texan and returned four of them for touchdowns. He made back-to-back Pro Bowl appearances in 2011 and 2012. Joseph had six interceptions in those two seasons combined, including four in 2011.

With the four teams for which he played, Joseph appeared in 211 games, which ranks 21st among all active players. He ranks 12th all-time in interceptions returned for touchdowns (seven).