Titans CB Kristian Fulton Re-Joins Team After Skipping First Week of OTAs

The Tennessee Titans kicked off their full-team summer practices last week and one notable absence was cornerback Kristian Fulton. According to Turron Davenport of ESPN, Fulton has re-joined the team this week.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans are set to take the field for their second practice of the summer that is open to the media and one player who was not in attendance last week will be joining the team for week two. Kristian Fulton, heading into his fourth season, has come back to the facility after skipping the first week of practices.

#Titans CB Kristian Fulton is back in Nashville after training in Miami. He'll be with the team when they hit the field for OTAs this afternoon.

— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) May 31, 2023

Fulton has been in the head coach's doghouse since the end of the 2022 season, it appears. Fulton was called out by name as a "repeat offender" for his soft-tissue injuries by Mike Vrabel at the close of last season. Adding to that, Vrabel did not seem pleased at Fulton's absence in the first week of organized team activities(OTAs).

Vrabel had a long explanation of why he is fine with star safety Kevin Byard missing OTAs, but when asked about whether Fulton was in attendance simply said, "Nope."

Vrabel's tone and demeanor totally changed from discussing Byard to Fulton and for good reason. Kevin Byard has never missed a game in his entire career, while Fulton has missed 20 of a possible 50 career games. 

With Fulton's injury history, Vrabel's comments at the end of 2022 and his demeanor change last week, it is easy to see that Vrabel may be slightly annoyed with Fulton as things stand now, but a simple reality remains. Fulton is the Titans' best corner. 

Yes, the Titans drafted Roger McCreary in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft and added Sean Murphy-Bunting in free agency, but when Fulton is healthy and playing his best, he is clearly the team's top option at the position. Something Vrabel certainly knows.

Fulton looks to have notice how Vrabel feels because he is back with the team and will be participating in practice this week. It is a contract year for Fulton so he needs to put his best foot forward to help himself maximize his pay day after the season. Rejoining the team is a good start to doing so.

The issues on the defensive side of the ball are a concern, and it shows in how a lot of minds don't think much of Tennessee. According to the Fanduel gambling website, the Titans are heavy underdogs to win the AFC South. They are at plus-360, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are at minus-160. It's the largest gap of any of the eight divisions.

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