Titans Punter Brett Kern Announces His Retirement

/in /by

Brett Kern. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

Former Titans punter Brett Kern is retiring from professional football after a 15-year career, 12 of which he spent in Nashville.

During his playing days with the Titans, 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 league history. Kern, who played at the University of Toledo, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2008. He played 22 games with the Broncos before being released. He was claimed off waivers by the Titans midway through the 2009 campaign and the rest is history.

“It’s hard to come up with the words, and the amount of thankfulness that I have for so much,” Kern said on Titans.com. “I am so thankful I was able to be here, and to be able to raise my family here and to play for an organization for so long.

“I an extremely grateful for everything I was able to experience, and to be able to represent the organization. It’s been a blessing.”

Over the course of his career, the New York native 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 and earned First Team Associated Press All-Pro honors for the first time in 2019, and was a two-time captain in 2020 and 2021. He concluded his brief time with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.

“I want to congratulate Brett on an amazing NFL career,” said Titans Controlling Owner Amy Adams Strunk in a statement. “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 finished his career in Tennessee 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). He 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 games played with the Titans, Kern ranks third in franchise history behind Bruce Matthews (296) and Elvin Bethea (210). He has totaled the most of any player during the franchise’s “Titans Era,” which started in 1999.

Steven Boero
Latest posts by Steven Boero (see all)