In our weekly trip around the AFC South, we’re once again keeping tabs on the Tennessee Titans’ division rivals, the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts.
In Indy, the Colts saw their starting safety Khari Willis unexpectedly announce his retirement this past week. Some light was also shed on linebacker Darius Leonard’s recent back surgery.
The supporters of former Jaguars offensive lineman and 2022 Hall of Fame nominee Tony Boselli drew criticism from Hall of Famer Bruce Smith for how they went about lobbying for Boselli’s enshrinement.
Texans head coach Lovie Smith was slapped with a hefty fine after it was discovered he broke rules during organized team activities. Also, Texans general manager Nick Caserio is pleased with what he’s seeing from quarterback Davis Mills ahead of his second season in the NFL.
We cover those stories and much more in our latest trip around the AFC South to check in on Tennessee’s division rivals.
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More details have emerged about the possible cause of Leonard’s back issue that forced him to have surgery.
Doctors believe Leonard’s lingering ankle issue was caused by a calf issue, which was caused by a nerve issue in his back, necessitating surgery. The Colts are hoping he’ll be ready at or near the start of training camp.
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The Colts added to their defense this past week, signing defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo. The former seventh-round pick had his best season in 2019 with seven sacks. He didn’t record one in nine games last season, though.
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Safety Khari Willis surprised the Colts and the football world last Wednesday when he announced his retirement. Willis, 26, is planning to “devote the remainder of my life to the further advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Willis’ abrupt retirement leaves a big hole in Indy’s defense.
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A former Titan is heading to Jacksonville after the Jaguars signed outside linebacker Wyatt Ray, who will take the roster spot of fellow outside linebacker Jordan Smith, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
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NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith isn’t happy with the way 2022 nominee Tony Boselli’s supporters lobbied for his enshrinement. Smith says Boselli’s supporters were focused “on a single successful performance he had against me in a 1996 playoff game,” which “sets a horrible precedent to negatively zero in on a standing member of the Hall’s play in order to validate the candidacy of a nominee.”
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Jaguars running back James Robinson wouldn’t give a timetable for his return to the practice field but went into detail about how his rehab from a torn Achilles’ tendon is going.
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After much was made by fans about left tackle Laremy Tunsil being absent for the voluntary portion of OTAs, he was in attendance at mandatory minicamp.
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Texans general manager Nick Caserio believes quarterback Davis Mill is “a lot further along” than he was in 2021, and goes into detail about why that is the case.
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Texans head coach Lovie Smith was fined $50,000 for running one-on-one drills between the offensive and defensive lines during organized team activities.
Smith wasn’t the only coach to get an expensive slap on the wrist, as Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera were also fined for violations.
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As we covered here last week, the Texans giving fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce an extra $25,000 in his rookie contract has made it more difficult for teams around the NFL to sign their own fourth-round picks, who now want the same as Pierce. Caserio thinks it’s laughable he’s being blamed for this.
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The Texans expect both of their first-round picks, cornerback Derek Stingley (foot) and guard Kenyon Green (knee), to be ready a full-go by training camp after the pair sat out the offseason program while rehabbing injuries.
