Tennessee Titans releasing punter Brett Kern

The Brett Kern era in Tennessee is over, as the Titans have reportedly informed the long-time punter he is being released.

The news comes from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and the move is the Titans’ first ahead of the deadline to trim rosters down to 53 on Tuesday. Schefter also reports that safety Adrian Colbert has been released, as well.

Neither Kern nor Colbert will be subject to waivers and are now free to sign with any team they like. The move to release Kern saves the team $2.2 million on the salary cap.

After being discarded by the Denver Broncos in 2009, the Titans picked Kern up off waivers, kickstarting what was a successful 13-year run as the team’s punter. Kern was one of the best in the sport in that time, also, and was the Titans’ longest-tenured player upon his release.

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However, the Titans explored their options this offseason after a few down years for the veteran, bringing in undrafted free agent Ryan Stonehouse to compete with Kern.

And the rookie answered the bell by displaying his massive leg throughout the offseason. Stonehouse likely wrapped up the job in preseason Week 3, when he showed the one thing missing from his game until that point: touch.

While losing a beloved player like Kern is a tough pill to swallow, the good news is the Titans appear to be set for the long haul with Stonehouse.

As for Kern, we’d put our money on him landing with one of Tennessee’s top competitors in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills, a team that recently became in need of a punter.

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Story originally appeared on Titans Wire