Jurrell

Casey

Casey lined up with the Titans from 2011 to 2019, being named a five-time Pro Bowl selection, six-time defensive captain and a two-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. He finishes seventh in Tennessee’s franchise history with 51 sacks — second only to Jevon Kearse (52) since 1999. Following his last season with the Broncos in 2020, Casey walks away having started 140 of 142 career NFL games with 686 tackles, 51 sacks, 59 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.

Casey, released from Denver in February, has interest but “isn’t close to signing.” The Broncos made Casey a cap casualty after he lasted just three games before landing on IR last year. One of the league’s top interior rushers when healthy, Casey had at least five sacks in his previous seven seasons. Casey, who’s 10 months removed from surgery, is holding out for a better deal. The five-time Pro Bowler should be fully cleared when training camp starts.

The move will save Denver $11.8 million in cap space. Initially acquired from Tennessee for a seventh-round pick, 31-year-old Casey made three appearances with the Broncos before tearing his biceps in Week 3 and being forced to season-ending injured reserve. Although the interior defensive line position offers a number of viable players on the open market, Casey, a five-time Pro Bowler, will likely receive calls early into the new league year.

He will be placed on injured reserve. Casey is the third starter lost for the year behind Von Miller (knee) and Courtland Sutton (torn ACL). CB AJ Bouye, LB Mark Barron, DE Dre’Mont Jones and Justin Strnad are also on injured reserve. It’s another significant blow for Denver’s defense, who traded a seventh-round pick for Casey back in March.

30-year-old Casey remains under contract through 2022 but his guarantees expire after this season. The Broncos were knowingly in the market for an interior threat along their defensive line and the Titans likely didn’t mind budging from Casey knowing Derrick Henry’s extension is on the table. Denver’s willingness to take on Casey’s remaining $41.2 million over the next three years didn’t hurt matters. While his play tailed off due to a nagging shoulder injury last year, Casey has quietly averaged a durable 806 snaps per season since 2012 and remains one of the league’s most forceful run-stuffers going,

Casey’s absence is good news for Damien Williams and the entire Chiefs’ rushing attack. Williams has regained his role as the Chiefs’ featured RB. Overall, he was one of just 12 RBs to play at least 70% of their offense’s snaps in Week 9. Credit to Williams for displaying some truly elite tackle-breaking ability over the past two weeks. He ranks eighth among 52 qualified RBs in PFF’s Elusive Rating metric on the season.

Casey’s absence is further good news for Christian McCaffrey’s quest to shatter NFL record books. Only 2001/2001 Marshall Faulk, 2002 Priest Holmes, 2006 LaDainian Tomlinson and 1942 Don Hutson have averaged more PPR per game in a single season than Run CMC in 2019.

Casey was curiously placed on the team’s injured reserve list in late-December despite reportedly dealing with a sprained MCL — an injury that typically takes only a couple of weeks to heal. Still recovering from said knee injury, you have to wonder whether it’s slightly more serious than being discussed. Jonnu Smith (knee) was also placed on the team’s active/PUP list Monday.

275 pounds was Casey’s lightest playing weight of his NFL career, and he wants to be “a little bit stronger and a little bit stouter to help the overall team as a whole.” Playing heavier is usually a reason for concern, but Casey should have better odds to stay healthy for all 16 games after being placed on injured reserve last year with a sprained MCL. Still one of the most underrated defenders in the NFL, Casey will be a threat for eight-plus sacks in 2019.

Casey is dealing with a sprained MCL, an injury which usually takes at least a couple weeks to heal. That means he could have been available if the Titans made a playoff run, but the team clearly thinks the roster spot is worth more heading into a must-win game, a curious position if he is only dealing with a sprain. Casey finishes his 2018 with seven sacks and remains one of the more underrated defenders in the league.