One of the Tennessee Titans’ undrafted free agent signings following the 2022 NFL draft, linebacker Jack Gibbens is trying to earn a spot on the team’s 53-man roster in training camp.
While Gibbens had been quiet for much of the first week-plus of training camp, he has made some nice plays in the last two practices, as Terry McCormick of Titan Insider pointed out.
Gibbens had an interception of a pass off receiver Josh Malone’s hands in Friday’s practice, and on Sunday made a nice strip of the ball in goal line period of a pass for rookie tight end Chig Okonkwo to force an incompletion.
Perhaps more noteworthy is the fact that Gibbens has caught the attention of head coach Mike Vrabel, who praised him for the job he’s doing in not only picking up the defense, but helping his teammates, also.
Gibbens has even earned a nickname from Vrabel, who calls him “Dr. Gibby.”
“[Gibbens] said, ‘Coach, I wasn’t in pre-med.’ I said, ‘I know. It’s a joke,” Vrabel revealed after Sunday’s practice.
“Dr. Gibby is smart. He’s picked up the defense extremely well. He’s going to be fun to watch playing in the game,” Vrabel added. “He gets everybody lined up. He knows exactly what to do. He can help other guys. He’s always around the football. That’s kind of what we saw last year watching film at Minnesota.”
Gibbens had an uphill climb in making the 53-man roster upon entering training camp, as the team had three roster locks in David Long, Zach Cunningham and Monty Rice.
Making matters worse, the Titans drafted linebacker Chance Campbell in the sixth round this year and have two special teams contributors from last season, Dylan Cole and Joe Jones, also competing for a roster spot.
In order to make the cut, it was imperative for Gibbens to stand out as much as possible, and after hearing Vrabel’s comments on Sunday, it’s clear he’s doing just that.
You have our attention, doctor.
