Titans Brett Kern, Kevin Byard react to punter’s awful Madden 20 rating

Tennessee Titans punter Brett Kern and safety Kevin Byard shared their reactions to the punter’s terrible Madden NFL 20 rating.

Tennessee Titans punter Brett Kern was just one of several players on the team to receive what we would deem as an unacceptable rating in the upcoming Madden NFL 20 video game.

Kern received a rating of 77, which is perplexing when you consider he’s one of the best punters in the NFL.

Despite the low mark, Kern took it all in stride and made one thing clear: general manager Jon Robinson and head coach Mike Vrabel don’t make roster decisions based on a video game:

Safety Kevin Byard, who came out OK with his 89 overall rating—although we would certainly argue it should be over a 90—spoke out to support his teammate:

https://twitter.com/KB31_Era/status/1150930659076165633

Kern was certainly appreciative of Byard’s support:

Now, this isn’t homer talk when disagreeing with Kern’s rating, it’s based on facts.

In 2018, Kern ranked fifth in the NFL in gross punting average (47.1), and his 39 punts inside the 20 ranked as the second-best total. And this was no small sample size, either, as Kern blasted 74 total punts, tying him for the eighth-most in the league.

Being an elite punter is nothing new for Kern, who is routinely one of the best, year in and year out. That’s why it’s so puzzling that his rating places him tied for 10th among the rest of the punters in the game.

After coming to the defense of both left tackle Taylor Lewan (81) and Kern, it’s great to see Byard coming to the defense of his teammates. Granted, this is a video game rating of a punter we’re talking about here, but it does show the kind of leadership Byard possesses.

And when one of the best players in the league calls you elite at your position, it means something. If anyone knows what greatness looks like, it’s Byard.