The Tennessee Titans’ recent release of tight end Taylor Thompson has drawn the attention of the NFL Players’ Association, according to a report from Adam Caplan of ESPN. Thompson was let go by the team last Thursday.
The team didn’t list any injury as cause for Thompson’s release, but the tight end says he will need knee surgery from an issue going back to the 2014 season. There are multiple options on the table for how Thompson might address the knee injury, and he could miss the entire 2015 season if he opts for micro fracture surgery.
Thompson was eligible to be claimed off waivers at 4 pm ET on Monday, though teams will likely take a pass on the 25-year-old until they know his health status. Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt told Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean last week that he was confused by the situation, saying that Thompson was healthy some weeks ago and showed up to camp stating his knee was bothering him.
“When he left here, however many weeks ago, he was healthy,” said Whisenhunt. “We communicated, he said he was fine, no issues, other than some personal matters. He shows up, says there’s something wrong with his knee, and I have no idea what he is talking about.”
It’s worth noting that Thompson played in just three games last season due to the knee injury, but he and the team are now in a battle of “he said, she said.” The injury appears legitimate; the question is who said what to whom, who was aware of the injury, and whether it was ultimately a factor in the team’s decision to cut the tight end loose.
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