Tennessee Titans linebacker Monty Rice was absent from the team’s final two preseason games and it was assumed the 2021 third-round pick was simply dealing with injury.
However, Rice said that was not the case recently, instead stating his absence was a result of “life and God” as opposed to injury.
Buy Titans Tickets“Life. Life and God,” he said when asked for the reason behind his absence, per John Glennon of Nashville Post. “That’s the best way to put it.”
However, when speaking to the media on Thursday, head coach Mike Vrabel had a different reason for Rice’s absence, indicating that the Georgia product missed time because of injury.
#Titans LB Monty Rice said it's not been injury that's kept him off field since playing a few snaps against Minnesota in first preseason game.
The reason? "Life. Life and God. That’s the best way to put it.”— John Glennon (@glennonsports) August 28, 2023
“In this particular case, yes,” Vrabel said when asked if Rice had put his past issue behind him, per Paul Kuharsky. “But I will say — not to this matter — we’re always going to have things that we deal with outside of here, or we deal with injuries. It’s part of life, it’s part of professional sports. So, when Monty was healthy, he returned and that’s where we’re at.”
When pressed on Rice indicating his absence wasn’t injury-related, Vrabel had a different interpretation of what was said.
“I don’t know if he didn’t say that (he was injured). When Monty was healthy, Monty returned to practice,” Vrabel said “However he phrased it, that’s up to him. And, again, we expect Monty to be out there and use his speed, use his explosiveness… He knows he has to be a dynamic special teams player for us that can run and then work his way in there defensively.”
#Titans' Vrabel: Says that when LB Monty Rice was healthy, he returned to practice … Rice had said it was not injury that kept him off the field.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) August 31, 2023
Whatever the case may be, Rice has secured his spot on the initial 53-man roster and is set to play a depth role on defense while also contributing on special teams.
