Early-season trades are always somewhat of a surprise in the NFL, but the Titans’ decision to trade Jarvis Brownlee to the Jets was shocking to the second-year cornerback and his teammates in Tennessee.
Titans linebacker James Williams said (via Terry McCormick of Main Street Media) that he was with Brownlee when he learned of the trade, adding that both were taken aback by the unexpected news. Veteran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed called the move “unfortunate,” but admitted, “It’s the NFL and things happen.”
Williams said that he didn’t know why the Titans made their decision, though McCormick offered his own explanation.
“The Titans had seemingly become disenchanted with Brownlee’s approach and fit in the locker room as the team tries to build a culture around a certain type of desired character that Brownlee in their estimation must have fallen short of,” wrote McCormick.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan said that there were “short-term” and “long-term” reasons behind the move, though he declined to elucidate further. He did say that the trade was a “one-off situation,” per McCormick, though Tennessee’s 0-3 start may loosen the team’s grip on some of their players as they near the trade deadline.
Brownlee noted (h/t ESPN’s Rich Cimini) he felt surprised and “hurt” by the trade, but his new team seems ecstatic to have him. Jets head coach Aaron Glenn (via Brian Costello of the New York Post) said that the deal was a “no-brainer” and revealed that he liked Brownlee as a prospect in the 2024 draft.