Titans Coach Tony Dews May Disapprove, but Titans Need More of What Chig Okonkwo Brings

The Tennessee Titans are a blue collar football team with an old-school style of play, but what the team truly needs to take the next step is players with the swagger displayed by Chig Okonkwo at organized team activities.

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans are not the flashiest team in the NFL. Whether it be the personality of their players or the play style of the team, the Titans have never been anything but a blue collar team. That may be the way some like it, but the Titans need a bit more if they want to take the next step as a team.

Of course, it isn't just about flash, but football is entertainment at the end of the day and the blue-collar approach hasn't gotten the Titans a Super Bowl win yet, so when Titans tight end coach Tony Dews scolded tight end Chig Okonkwo for catching a ball one handed, it made me bristle.

Chig Okonkwo with the one hand catch. #Titans pic.twitter.com/HIEioEZikW

— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) May 31, 2023

Okonkwo makes an easy one-handed catch during an individual drill during Wednesday's practice and you can hear Dews in the background give disapproving feedback.

"Chig, catch the ball with two hands you primadonna," Dews proclaimed. "Please don't put that on film. One hand. There you go showing off for the cameras."

You know what, I completely disagree with Okonkwo being advised not to practice that way. Yes, the one-handed catch shows a bit of swagger or primadonna-ness, but quite honestly the Titans need more of that. They need more swagger, more attitude, more showtime. 

The Titans have had good players, but rarely have they had exciting players. Chris Johnson was the only must-watch superstar the Titans had for almost a decade until Derrick Henry showed up. A.J. Brown finally gave the Titans a second player of that ilk and we know how that ended.

Whether some fans or coaches like it, football history is littered with flashy players who liked to show off a bit like Joe Namath, Brett Favre, Michael Irvin or Randy Moss. Not saying acting like a jerk will make a Titans player turn into one of those guys, but often the best players also have a lot of personality to them. 

The Titans seem to discourage or not appreciate this type of player, but the reality is you need guys like this on the team. They lift up and inspire their teammates and, from a business standpoint, it makes the team far more interesting.

So, catch the ball with one hand, Chig. Give the corner a "too small" gesture, Treylon. Stiff arm a player to the ground and place a imaginary crown on your head, Derrick. I get the Titans don't want self-centered players on the team, but finding the right balance and leaning a little more into those type of moments would be good for this team.

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