Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey has been the definition of an underdog ever since the moment he arrived in Nashville after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of Berry College.
Kinsey is someone who hasn’t found a way to crack the 53-man roster on a full-time basis just yet, but he’s clearly someone the team likes enough to continue to keep around.
While Kinsey is primarily a slot receiver and special teamer, he actually got a few snaps at quarterback during the Titans’ preseason victory over the Minnesota Vikings thanks to the injury to quarterback Will Levis.
“(On Friday) they told me there was going to be a chance if Malik (Willis) went down, obviously, which I’m glad he didn’t,” Kinsey said after the game on Saturday, per AtoZ Sports’ Buck Reising. “Before the game today, [head coach Mike Vrabel] was like, ‘I may put you in for a snap or two,’ so that was kind of cool he threw me a bone on that one.”
“It was a cool experience and it shows a little bit of trust, that they trusted me to do it,” Kinsey added. “It’s a compliment to me, for sure.”
On Sunday, Vrabel discussed what went into that decision and why he felt Kinsey deserved the opportunity.
“Mason is out there everyday,” Vrabel said, per Jim Wyatt. “During the time that he’s been on our practice squad, probably runs more than any player that we have on our roster. Running receiver, playing DB throughout practice that you guys may or may not see. I wanted to give him the opportunity.”
Vrabel and Kinsey both noted that the extent of his preparation consisted of a walkthrough of a play or two on Friday.
While Kinsey rightly got some attention for his role as the emergency signal-caller on Saturday night, he also played well as a receiver, with Kinsey leading the team with 37 yards in the winning effort.
Through two preseason contests, Kinsey has been the most consistent receiver on the team from a production standpoint, leading all Titans wideouts with 77 yards.
There’s no telling if his solid preseason will lead to a roster spot, but it’s clear that Kinsey has a fan in his head coach who, at the very least, genuinely appreciates everything he does for the team.
