Thank you 99. I am glad I own this Jersey!
On March 19, 2020 the Titans traded long-time Titan Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos for a seventh round draft pick. Of all the off-season moves by the Titans, I think this one actually hurts the most. I certainly hope our general manager has got a plan to replace this Titan legend. Luckily I like our GM but still, this is pretty shocking. Casey slightly older-ish and it saves the Titans a significant amount of money. I don't like it, but that is basically the reasoning from what I understand. At the end of the day I am a Titans guy, so I try to be supportive and hopeful that the team can somehow get better in the long-run from this.
Versatile defensive lineman Jurrell Casey was the ultimate Mr. Reliable for the Titans over the past NINE seasons. The Titans have a pretty youthful squad overall. But Jurrell is/was a wonderfully rare exception for this team. I believe only Brett Kern, the Titans' punter, is the only current Titan that has been on the team longer than Casey.
Casey's rookie season for the Titans took place in the year 2011. Way back when the Titans' quarterback was Matt Hasselbeck. I bet not a lot of people know that Hasselbeck actually was the starting quarterback in Tennessee for a full season and actually led the team to a 9-7 record in 2011. Random fact for ya.
So to make a long story short, Casey has been a Titan for a very long time. Throughout Hasselbeck, the short lived and mostly disastrous Jake Locker 'era', more bad football, then some fun and solid success for the last five seasons during the Mariota era and the start of the Tannehill era. It is a massive compliment to Casey's football skills that he was kept on the team throughout so much bad football and so many coaching changes over nine seasons. I believe he was the longest tenured non-special teams player on the team this past season.
For just those reasons alone, Casey is a massively beloved Titan among fans. I highly doubt you would be able to find a fan that didn't like number 99. Casey was a bright spot on some very bad teams. He was always positive and he was super tough. He was, funny, gritty, athletic, quick, and GOOD! There aren't any glaring holes in this guy's game. He is just a solid dude to have on any team. The Broncos got a good one!
Just how great of a Titan was Jurrell Casey? Here are some noteworthy notes of his amazing Titans career:
- 139 Games Played (137 Starts)
- 51 Sacks
- 7 Consecutive Seasons of at least five sacks (2013-2019)
- 84 Tackles For Loss
- 493 Total Combined Tackles (325 Solo, 168 Assisted)
- Five Pro Bowl Selections (Five consecutive selections from 2015-2019)
- 2013 Second-Team All-Pro
Source
Casey is a tremendous run stuffer as well as QB harasser. He accomplished these stats often while being the best defensive player on the team and being double teamed often. This career speaks for itself!
Gosh this one hurts. I remember when Casey was the only good player for the Titans on Madden. Now he won't be on the team at all :/
But it is a business. I can't do anything to keep him, I am just a fan. I hope this trade works out for both Casey and the Titans. I think that Casey is going to have several more years of great production and moments! This is bitterweet for sure, but life goes on and no player can play forever, and its rare for a player to remain with the same time for an entire career! Even Tom Brady left!
Good luck in Denver and with the rest of your career Jurrell! You will always be a Titan for life to me :)