A great linebacker can elevate an entire defense. The Titans have two.
Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown are two budding stars at inside linebacker. Two players on the rise whose national recognition hasn’t quite met the mark of their talent or production. Titans fans, stop me if you’ve heard that before.
The truth is, the “nobody believes the Titans” narrative is starting to become played.
Ryan Tannehill killed it in Tennessee en route to a Pro Bowl, and he’s still seen by some as an untrustworthy starter. AJ Brown was able to do what only 21 other players in the history of the NFL could manage and record 1,000 receiving yards in his rookie season, and was still snubbed for Offensive Rookie of The Year. And Kevin Byard, who continues to play like the best safety in the league, continues to be snubbed for All-Pro teams, Pro Bowl teams, and even the NFL Top 100.
“Nobody believes in the Titans” is a tired tagline to read, and frankly, I’m getting tired of writing it too. Thankfully, the more Tennessee pulls off winning seasons and deep playoff runs, the less it seems we need to worry about national recognition– slowly but surely.
Derrick Henry is a bonafide star, Mike Vrabel is becoming a household name at head coach, and the national spotlight seems to be growing a slight bit brighter for the little team from Tennessee.
But there are still exceptions. And one glaring, baffling exception is the lack of recognition for the talents of Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown, two inside linebackers who are already great and are only getting better.
So forgive me while I dust off the tired narrative one last time and use it to pose an important question– why is nobody talking about what a great linebacker duo Evans and Brown already are? And even more, why is nobody talking about how much potential these two have?
Two players, already among the most talented in the league at their position, with the budding talent to be the best linebacker duo in the NFL in only a few short years.