When the Tennessee Titans cut linebacker Jack Gibbens last year, it seemed like he was going to be just another undrafted free agent to come and go. However, Gibbens has seen quite the rebound since then.
Gibbens was brought back on the practice squad last season, where he spent the majority of the campaign before being promoted to Tennessee’s active roster in December because of injuries at inside linebacker.
The Minnesota product not only got the promotion, he also received a look as a starter to close out the year, putting himself in position to have a chance to grab a starting role in 2023.
And Gibbens ran with the opportunity, as he successfully beat out 2021 third-round pick Monty Rice, 2022 sixth-round pick Chance Campbell, and a pair of veterans in Ben Niemann and Luke Gifford.
“I drove back to Texas (after being cut in 2022) and then a week later they were calling me back to come back out on the practice squad,” he said on Monday. “When I got back out here I just kind of said, ‘I’m going to make the most of this opportunity.’ They gave me a second chance and I just took the mindset of I’ve got get better everyday, I’ve got to fight to earn it everyday. That’s the same mindset that I’m trying to have right now.”
Aside from better-than-expected play, one of the things that made Gibbens stand out last year was his nickname “Dr. Gibby”, which was bestowed upon him by head coach Mike Vrabel because of his intelligence and how quickly he picked up the defense.
While the nickname will forever live in our hearts and minds, Gibbens says his coaches and teammates have since dropped the doctor part.
“I haven’t really been doctor too much anymore, it’s just Gibby,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know what happened. I guess I’m not practicing anymore.”
Through two games, Gibbens has the highest overall grade on defense (82.2), per Pro Football Focus, and the second-highest run defense grade (82.3) and fourth-best coverage grade (70.2).