NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans continued the renovation of their offensive line Friday, releasing 11-year veteran center Ben Jones a year after signing him to a two-year extension.
The Titans announced Friday they released Jones after he failed a physical. They also signed five-time Pro Bowl long snapper Morgan Cox to an extension.
Jones started every game he played for Tennessee with 108 games, but the 6-foot-3, 308-pound center was limited by injuries to 12 starts in 2022. Jones finished the season on injured reserve after his second concussion in a month.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel thanked Jones for his time with Tennessee and embodying a lot of the qualities they want in a player.
“He was a great teammate; his toughness was off the charts, and he had a leadership quality that was earned through the relationships he built and the dedication to the game he showed to his teammates,” Vrabel said in a statement.
The center, who turns 34 in July, was the 99th player drafted overall in 2012 by the Houston Texans out of Georgia. He just went to his first Pro Bowl as an injury replacement helping block for Derrick Henry, who finished second in the NFL in rushing.
Releasing Jones frees up $3.7 million in salary cap space, but the move will cost $4.5 million in dead money against the cap according to Spotrac.com. The Titans released three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Taylor Lewan on Feb. 22 to start clearing cap space.
Jones started 151 of 172 games played and was a key piece as Tennessee turned around a franchise that went 5-27 in the two seasons before his arrival.