Former Titan Brett Kern Announcing Retirement Thursday
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Former Tennessee Titans punter Brett Kern will announce his retirement today, capping a 15-year NFL career.
The University of Toledo product entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2008 and spent 22 games with the club before being claimed off waivers by the Titans midway through the 2009 campaign. As a Titan, Kern became one of the most productive punters in the NFL, setting numerous club records and cementing himself as one of the best directional punters in NFL history.
Over his 15-year NFL career, he appeared in 223 regular season games and recorded 1,006 punts for 46,136 yards (45.9 avg.) with 396 kicks placed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Kern saw action in nine postseason contests and registered 41 punts for 1,879 yards (45.8 avg.) with 20 kicks placed inside the 20-yard line. He was named to three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2017 to 2019, earned first-team Associated Press All-Pro honors in 2019, and was a two-time team captain (2020 & 2021).
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As a Titan, Kern has placed his name at the very top of most of the franchise’s records at his position. In 2020, he passed Craig Hentrich as the organization’s all-time leader for punts. He concludes his career as the team’s all-time career leader in punts (923), gross punting average (45.9 yards), net punting average (40.8), and punts placed inside the 20 (373). Kern owns nine of the top 10 net punting seasons in franchise history and six of the team’s top nine gross punting seasons. With 197 career games played with the Titans, Kern ranks third in franchise history behind Bruce Matthews (296) and Elvin Bethea (210). His total is the most for any player during the franchise’s “Titans era” (since 1999).
“I want to congratulate Brett on an amazing NFL career,” said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk. “He was a true professional and one of the important players who helped our organization reach the level of success that we have sustained for a number of years now. After being named to three Pro Bowls, receiving All-Pro honors, and setting record after record, he would be on a very short list of the best waiver claims our organization has ever made. Brett will always be considered part of the Titans family, and we wish him continued success in the years to come.”
Kern concluded his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, appearing in four regular season contests and two postseason games while helping the Eagles advance to Super Bowl LVII.
A native of Grand Island, N.Y., Kern received All-America honors at Toledo before becoming an undrafted free agent with the Broncos.
NOTE: Story courtesy of The Tennessee Titans Media Relations Department.
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