Titans Shake Up Kicker Competition, Claim Veteran Off Waivers

Tucker McCann now has to battle Sam Ficken, who has kicked for the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets, for the job.

Tucker McCann’s competition to be the Tennessee Titans’ placekicker got a little stiffer Sunday.

The Titans claimed veteran Sam Ficken off waivers from the New York Jets. The 28-year-old made 13 of 15 field goal attempts (86.7 percent) last season for the Jets, and in a four-year career that includes time spent with the Los Angeles Rams and New York Jets, he has made 72.9 percent of his field goal attempts (35 of 48).

In a corresponding move, the team also released Blake Haubeil, an undrafted rookie out of Ohio State.

Additionally, undrafted rookie tight end Briley Moore was placed on injured reserve. Moore was injured (it appeared to be a knee) during Saturday’s training camp practice.

Haubeil and McCann had competed for the job throughout the offseason but neither distinguished himself during the first few days of training camp. It is clear now that McCann, who spent last season on the Titans’ practice squad, outperformed Haubeil but has not convinced franchise officials that he is ready to have the job.

The Jets waived Ficken on Friday.

Ficken entered in the NFL in 2016 as an undrafted rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars but did not make his NFL debut until Week 16 of the 2017 season for the Rams in a game against – coincidentally – the Titans at Nissan Stadium. It was an inauspicious beginning as he missed one PAT (on four tries) and his only field goal attempt in a game Tennessee won by four points, 27-23.

He appeared in two games for the Rams in 2017, two more for them in 2018 and then played 24 games for the Jets over the past two seasons.

Ficken also has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers but did not appear in a regular season game for any of those teams.

Titans players had a day off Sunday but will resume training camp workouts Monday morning.