Tensions Boil Over in Titans-Jaguars Matchup as Julius Chestnut Accuses Jaguars Punter of Death Threat
Sunday’s AFC South clash between the Jaguars and Titans wasn’t just lopsided on the scoreboard-it got downright chaotic on the field. Jacksonville cruised to a 25-3 win, but the bigger story might be what happened between the whistles, particularly involving Jaguars punter Logan Cooke and Titans running back Julius Chestnut.
According to Chestnut, things escalated far beyond the usual trash talk. The Titans back claims that during a heated moment in the third quarter, Cooke told him he was “going to kill” him. Yes, you read that right-a punter allegedly issued a death threat during the game.
Let’s rewind to how it all unfolded.
Late in the third quarter, Titans return man Chimere Dike broke off a 47-yard return, and Cooke-like most punters in that situation-tried to slow him down. Chestnut, doing what gunners and blockers are coached to do, laid a block on Cooke, who went down hard and was evaluated for a possible concussion. He did return to punt later in the game, but the tension didn’t stop there.
Shortly after, during another return-this one for 13 yards-emotions boiled over again. Chestnut and Cooke squared up once more, and this time, it led to a full-on scuffle.
Flags flew. Titans safety Mike Brown was ejected.
Cooke and Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik were both hit with penalties.
This wasn’t your average special teams dust-up. It had an edge to it. And after the game, Chestnut pulled back the curtain on what he says really went down.
“I was just trying to play hard, and he came up to me and said he was going to kill me,” Chestnut told reporters. “I don’t know what made him do that.
That was surprising to me. I ain’t never seen nothing like that before.”
Chestnut believes the earlier block may have sparked the reaction, but he says Cooke never explained himself. And as of now, there’s no audio evidence of the alleged threat, which means Cooke likely won’t face any league discipline unless something surfaces.
For context, Cooke has been with the Jaguars since 2018 after being selected in the seventh round of the draft. He’s known more for his consistency and leg strength than for getting into altercations-especially ones like this.
It’s rare to see a punter in the middle of multiple scuffles, let alone one accused of crossing the line with a threat like that. And while it’s unclear if the league will take a closer look, this incident adds another layer of intensity to a rivalry that’s already been heating up in recent years.
The Jaguars got the win and strengthened their division standing, but this one might be remembered just as much for what happened after the whistles as for what happened between them.