Rookie Kicks Kern to the Curb

Ryan Stonehouse, who set an NCAA career record at Colorado State, will be the Tennessee Titans' punter in the 2022 NFL season.

NASHVILLE – There is no question that Ryan Stonehouse has a big leg.

Now, the rookie punter has some big shoes to fill.

The Tennessee Titans informed three-time Pro Bowler Brett Kern on Monday that he would be released, a move that ended the longest tenure with the franchise by any player during the Titans era (1999-present). ESPN first reported the transaction, and All Titans reporter John Glennon confirmed it a short time later.

The job now falls to Stonehouse, an NCAA record-holder who was undrafted this year out of Colorado State. He was one of seven punters who averaged better than 50 yards per punt in the preseason and one of four who did so with 10 or more punts. His average of 50.2 yards ranked seventh overall, but his net average of 41.3 was 16th, courtesy of five touchbacks. He also had six end up inside the 20.

NFL rosters must be reduced from 80 players to 53 by Tuesday afternoon, and the decision at punter figured to be among the most significant for the Titans.

In college, Stonehouse’s average of 47.8 yards ranks as the best in NCAA history. He had 106 punts out of 244 (43.4 percent) of 50 yards or more.

“I think my strength is honestly to help flip the field,” Stonehouse said following Saturday’s 26-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. “And I think that I need to use that to my advantage.”

In 2021, Kern averaged fewer than 45 yards per punt (44.8) for the first time in five years. Opponents averaged 10.5 yards per punt return, which was nearly a yard and a half better than the league average. As a result, the Titans ranked 25th in net punting with an average of 44.31 yards.

Coaches are counting on Stonehouse’s distance and hang time to help the coverage team and to lower that number in 2022.

Kern, however, had 18 inside the 20 with just one touchback last season. Over the past four seasons, he put 116 punts inside the 20 with just nine touchbacks, which is nearly 13 inside the 20 for every touchback.

“I think (Stonehouse), that's something that he'll continue to always work on,” coach Mike Vrabel said recently. “And I think it is a skill, to go down there and make it hit and check. You see throughout the league, some of those footballs are laying on the five-yard line and take a violent bounce into the end zone or the other ones that sit there and die soft.”

Kern joined the Titans in 2009 when he was claimed off waivers from the Denver Broncos. In 197 games over 12-plus seasons, he became the franchise’s career leader in average punts (45.9 yards), net punting (40.8) and punts inside the 20 (373). He made the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and was an All-Pro in 2019.

Because of his experience, he will not have to go through the waiver process. Instead – once he is officially released – he immediately will become a free agent who can sign with any team. The Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts are among those with an obvious need at punter, and both will play the Titans this season.

Stonehouse simply has to show that franchise officials made the right choice.

“I have more to work on,” Stonehouse said. “Like it's just not a finished product yet. And I feel like each game I have improved and I think that's what I'm going to continue to do.”