Greg Joseph was the Titans’ fifth kicker last year.
He’s hoping to be the only one they need this season, and earn his way out of the basement.
Joseph came in for the final two regular season games of 2019, after the Titans had already burned through Ryan Succop, Cairo Santos, Cody Parkey, and Ryan Santoso.
But he was a perfect 18-of-18 on extra points during the regular season and playoffs, and hit his only field goal attempt, which he hopes helps him keep the job for the long term.
“When the season ended, they just kind of conveyed the message: We love what you did here,” Joseph said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website. “And I told them: I want to be the guy. This is where I want to be, and I am going to bust my butt all offseason to make that happen.”
When he first arrived in Nashville last December, they put him up in a hotel. But punter/holder Brett Kern invited him to live in the basement of his family’s home, where he set up shop for the postseason.
“That definitely made me feel more at home and more comfortable on a new team,” Joseph said. “Brett and the entire Kern family, they were amazing to me and I’ll never forget it. His family is awesome, and kids are awesome and I got to know Brett a lot better. I was the entertainment for the kids. I was throwing a football with his son, reading books and doing puzzles with his daughters. . . . We played ping pong, foosball, we played in the snow. It really did make me feel like I was a part of the family and I’ll always appreciate it.”
The Titans have another kicker on the roster at the moment (undrafted rookie Tucker McCann), but the familiarity Joseph earned last season could give him a leg up, and perhaps a permanent place of his own.