Safety Injuries Lead to Secondary Shakeup

Veteran safeties Adrian Colbert and Elijah Benton sign contracts two days before the preseason opener. Michael Griffin II and Kenneth George are released.

Paul Rutherford/USA Today Sports

Two days before their preseason opener, the Tennessee Titans have added a pair of veteran safeties to their roster.

Adrian Colbert (pictured) and Elijah Benton were signed Tuesday, the team announced.

Colbert, 28, has played for five different teams in five years, including two clubs last season (Cleveland and the New York Jets). A seventh-round draft pick by San Francisco in 2017, he appeared in 14 games as a rookie but has not seen the field in more than seven contests in any season since.

Benton was a college teammate of quarterback Malik Willis at Liberty University and played one game last season as an undrafted rookie with the Cleveland Browns. He also spent time on the practice squads three other teams, New England, Seattle and the New York Jets.

The Titans already were at the maximum of 90 players on the offseason roster. As a result, rookie safety Michael Griffin II was waived-injured, and cornerback Kenneth George was waived. Both were signed in mid-May, weeks after the draft. George got a contract following a tryout during the rookie minicamp.

The moves came after starter Amani Hooker missed a couple of recent practices with an undisclosed injury. Griffin also was injured, which left the Titans with four healthy safeties, and one of them, Kevin Byard, is not likely to play much – if at all – Thursday against the Baltimore Ravens or in either of the other two preseason contests.

It is similar to a year ago, when Tennessee added three veteran safeties to offset injury issues in the wake of the first preseason. One, Bradley McDougald, ultimately started a game in the regular season (Week 2 at Seattle).

Colbert has played 29 games in his career with 22 starts. He has eight passes defensed, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He has not intercepted a pass.