Kyle Philips quickly found himself in the doghouse with the last Tennessee Titans coaching staff. Head coach Brian Callahan and his staff are offering Philips a blank slate. If he can clean up some mistakes, he should compete for a spot on this roster.
When Will Levis became the starter for the Titans in Week 8 last year, it was a coming-out party for the quarterback. In that game, Levis lit it up and in the process, he showed everyone that DeAndre Hopkins was still a very good receiver.
Do you know who led the Titans in receiving yards the following week? It was Philips, who also led the Titans in receiving yards in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Philips was a factor when used on offense last year, specifically when he was on the field with Levis.
Levis and Philips had good chemistry in the short time they played together in 2023. For example, Philips had the highest catch percentage of any receiver or tight end that Levis threw to last year. Levis threw 32 explosive passes (20+ yards) last season and Philips caught four of those despite never playing more than 35% of the snaps in a game with Levis.
There is something there between the two, but injuries and killer fumbles on special teams led to Philips getting sent to the dog house. With Philips on the bench and the team in freefall, he never got another chance to prove that he could make an impact.
But that was last year, and Paul Kuharsky asked Philips an interesting question on Thursday. He asked Philips if he had a clean slate on punt returns with the new coaching staff, and Philips said,
"Yeah definitely you know they came in and what happened, happened...they are going to scout us how they scout us and our reps we have in practice and from there, whoever they deem to be the best is going to be the best and that is who is going to be back there."
Kyle Philips got a clean slate from new staff on punt returns. #Titans pic.twitter.com/6cTlxqO1q0
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) August 8, 2024
If Philips truly has a blank slate, then the return game could provide his pathway the Titans' roster this season.
Most have Jha'Quan Jackson penciled in as the return man, but when Philips has the ball in his hands, he has been electric in the past. With Jackson being relatively quiet in camp, it seems like there could still be a chance for someone like Philips or Mason Kinsey to make the roster.
While it is still a long shot, Philips has shined in training camp and Jim Wyatt has said that only two other players have caught more passes in 7-on-7 drills this summer.
Philips has to keep stacking good days, but if he has a big night in Saturday's preseason game, it could be enough to make the Titans coaches question whether or not he should be a part of the future of the Titans offense.