NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray may not be available when the New York Jets come to town this Sunday. The worst part is the situation was entirely avoidable. 

The Titans released a statement Monday afternoon confirming the second-year linebacker’s involvement in an off-field accident over Labor Day weekend.

“Over the weekend Cedric Gray was involved in a UTV accident in Tennessee and sustained a concussion and minor injuries. We look forward to Cedric returning to the field soon and in full health. When he clears the NFL’s concussion protocol.”

Gray is no worse than the third-best player on Tennessee’s defense and one of the best players on the entire football team. 

He broke the franchise’s single-season tackles record last year in only 16 games, surpassing Steven Tulloch and Aziz Al-Shair, and still found ways to be impactful despite the rest of the defense struggling around him.

Titans head coach Robert Saleh says Cedric Gray “has a chance”

Saleh confirmed Gray is in the concussion protocol but said the third year linebacker does have a chance to play in the opener against the Jets.

“You always try your best to keep the main thing the main thing and educate them. But they’re still kids,” Saleh said when asked about warning players of being safe before breaks away from the team.

“He was apologetic. I’m takin the glass half full approach. He’s good. He’s healthy. He’s got a chance (to play vs the Jets).”

Gray’s decision carries real consequences for the Titans’ Week 1 preparation

This is one of the things coaches fear most: bad decision-making on holiday weekends.

The specific type of utility vehicle Gray was operating remains unclear. What we do know is that no alcohol was involved, per the reporting around the situation.

Some might argue this is a freak accident, the kind of thing that could happen to anyone on a golf cart. The reality is that almost always there is language in NFL players’ contracts specific to what they can and cannot do around UTVs, ATVs, jet skis, motorcycles and the like. Former Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota contractually had language prohibiting surfing because of the inherent physical risk. 

In football, your availability is the most important thing.

I know it’s completely unfair to tell football players to stay inside, play video games, and build Legos. But that’s what the money is for. Gray’s judgement error results in a concussion and minor injuries that now threaten his Week 1 availability.

You’re concerned for the safety of the person first and foremost. But after the fact, you look around and recognize he just can’t do it.

How the Titans might handle life without their starting linebacker

If Gray does not practice Wednesday or Thursday, it is almost impossible to imagine a scenario in which he plays Sunday.

Friday is simply a walkthrough, and the bulk of the week’s preparation will be done by then. The one advantage Tennessee has is a full week to prepare for the possibility of playing without him.

Without Gray, Cody Barton would step in. Barton is a veteran who understands the defense, has played in this scheme before, and is situationally aware, but he has physical limitations. I think he’s the oldest player in the room. He is not somebody Titans fans are entering the season with great confidence in. Most fans want to see second-round pick Anthony Hill out of Texas starting instead of Barton, even though that would come with the variance of putting a rookie in a Week 1 spot against a quality running back like Breece Hall and a veteran quarterback in Geno Smith.

Barton wears the green dot as the defensive communicator, so that element is not necessarily impacted. But the Titans now have to figure out their linebacker rotation. Is James Williams going to be out there alongside Barton? Could they maneuver the personnel to allow Hill to wear the green dot and get Barton or Williams on the field in a different capacity? These are questions that now must be answered because Gray’s absence creates an obvious disadvantage the Jets will try to exploit.

The concussion protocol is not a good sign.

The Titans have been remarkably healthy this offseason. The Wandale Robinson concussion scare during joint practices with the Bears amounted to nothing. Losing depth pass rusher Jaylen Harrell and rookie seventh-round tight end Jaren Kanak to injured reserve stings, but those are depth losses. Gray is a starter, and given that this situation was infinitely in his control, it’s a bad look at minimum. At maximum, it could cost Tennessee the football game if Hall breaks an explosive run in a matchup between two teams operating on the same level right now.