Tennessee Titans players continue to expose false narrative surrounding the team's constant injury issues
There are plenty of reasons why the Tennessee Titans finished under .500 for the last two years in a row and injuries are definitely near, if not at the top, of the list.It even goes back to 2021, when the Titans set an NFL record for using the most players in a single season, with […]
There are plenty of reasons why the Tennessee Titans finished under .500 for the last two years in a row and injuries are definitely near, if not at the top, of the list.
It even goes back to 2021, when the Titans set an NFL record for using the most players in a single season, with 91. Tennessee almost matched that mark with 86 guys in 2022, but still led the NFL in "man games lost", a stat that quantifies how many total games a roster missed due to injury.
2023 saw several key players end up on IR, or, they missed significant time (think Ryan Tannehill, Treylon Burks, etc.). So, naturally, a narrative pointing fingers at a "faulty" training/strength staff and a lack of proper resources was created in order to provide some closure behind why the Titans were having such bad injury luck.
Well, the Titans own players have squashed that, again, in 2024. Per the NFLPA's 2024 Player Team Report Cards, players feel the team provided an adequate training staff, strength coach, and training program in 2023:
| Category | Grade | Rank (of 32) |
|---|---|---|
Training Room | C+ | 19th |
Training Staff | B | 18th |
Weight Room | B+ | 13th |
Strength Coaches | B+ | 18th |
NFLPA.com
For the training room, 89% of players felt they had enough full-time trainers, which ranked 17th overall. 84% of players felt they had enough full-time physical therapists, which ranked 14th overall. Hot tub space and cold tub space was inadequate, however, as the Titans ranked 26th and 24th in those two categories, respectively.
86% of players felt they had enough 1-on-1 time with the training staff, which finished 17th. The quality of weight room equipment finished 13th and weight room space was 12th. 98% of players felt like they received an individual plan from the Titans' strength coach and the players felt the strength coaches contributed a lot to their success.
Sure, the overall rankings aren't top-10 or anything like that, but it's important to note that only eight of the 32 teams received multiple As across these categories.
Titans players also provided favorable reviews in the 2023 report card. The four aforementioned categories were given grades of B-, A-, B, and A-, respectively, and they ranked 12th, 15th, 18th, and 17th. The Titans were one of nine teams to receive at least a B- in all four categories, that year.
It just goes to show that injuries are completely unpredictable and unless there are just egregious mistakes in training and preparation (which would be immediately pointed out to begin with), it's extremely hard to pinpoint the catalyst behind the streak of injuries the Titans have faced over the last several years.
At the end of the day, it's football. Guys are going to hurt – just hope your team has enough depth to stay on track.
