Tennessee Titans running back Julius Chestnut turned heads before kickoff against the Cleveland Browns, but not in a way that had fans applauding.
Chestnut arrived at Nissan Stadium on Sunday in an all-black Halloween look that drew immediate attention online. He wore a black top, loose black trousers and a long black coat with wide, draping sleeves, then finished the outfit with a full-face black mask marked in red with silver detailing around the eyes.
The reaction came fast. Some viewers compared the look to Kylo Ren, the Star Wars character played by Adam Driver in the most recent trilogy, while others used the moment to take a swipe at the Titans’ season. Tennessee has only one win, and that context made the outfit even easier for some fans to mock.
One commenter wrote, "I wouldn't wanna show myself in that uniform either."
Another posted, "Wouldn't show my face either if I played for the Titans."
"Unserious team," another added after video of Chestnut making his arrival circulated online.
Chestnut, who was named the AFC special teams player of the week last week, was not the only Titans player making headlines around the game. Tennessee got off to a strong start against Cleveland, with Tony Pollard scoring two touchdowns in the first half.
The broader week around the team has also been anything but quiet. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott was released after an incident at the team facility, and head coach Robert Saleh described it as a "terrible lapse in judgment that I recognize as a call for help more than a criminal act."
The Titans said Tuesday that Elliott had been released after his involvement in an unspecified incident five days earlier at the team facility. According to the source, Elliott had a gun in his car and went to the parking lot to retrieve it after a dispute with another player, JC Latham.
The NFL bars league personnel from taking a firearm to club facilities, stadiums, team hotels or team planes and buses.
In Other News...
Cam Ward Debate Just Got Tougher For Titans Fans
The Titans had a chance to reset the conversation Sunday when they jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Browns, but the familiar issues returned fast in a 27-24 loss. While Cam Wards up-and-down play will keep drawing the loudest scrutiny, the offense showed enough other cracks to make this more than a simple quarterback verdict, especially with Tony Pollard carrying the load on the ground and scoring three times.
Robert Saleh made clear afterward that the offensive struggles are not solely on Ward, and the numbers from Cleveland back up why the debate is getting messier. Ward went 20 of 31 for 181 yards without a touchdown, and his streak of throwing an interception in five straight games only adds to the pressure, but the Titans are also still searching for consistency around him as they try to turn strong starts into wins. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Waste Tony Pollard Breakout In Another Brutal Home Loss
Tony Pollard gave the Titans exactly the kind of spark they needed, delivering three touchdowns and 155 total yards in a loss to the Browns that pushed Tennessee to 1-6. It was the rare home game where the offense produced a standout individual performance, but the bigger picture never tilted the Titans way as the defense surrendered 27 points and the team came up short again in front of its own crowd.
Malik Willis finished 20 of 31 for 181 yards with one interception, and Tennessee repeatedly failed to turn chances into momentum. Cor'Dale Flotts interception offered one of the few defensive highlights, but the Titans could not cash in often enough around it, leaving Pollards breakout effort as another frustrating footnote in a season that keeps slipping further away. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Have One Clear Path To A Browns Upset
The Titans finally got a win in Week 6 against the Colts, and now they return home with a chance to build on it against a Browns team that has spent most of the season looking like one of the steadier clubs in the AFC North. For Robert Saleh, the setting adds a little more pressure, too, since he is still chasing his first home victory as Tennessees head coach.
The clearest opening for the Titans comes up front, where their pass rush could meet a Cleveland offensive line that has had trouble keeping Deshaun Watson upright. Watson has already been sacked 24 times in six games, while Tennessee has put together 16 sacks of its own, and that sort of disparity can matter in a game where the Browns may not want to let the pocket collapse around their quarterback. If the Titans are going to follow up their first win with something bigger, winning that trench battle feels like the most direct route. [Read more 🡒]