Unless an NFL team's special teams unit is at a particular (and unfortunate) disadvantage, kickers are usually the least athletic players on the field.
They are on the field to do one thing and one thing only: Get the ball through the uprights or kick it through the back of the end zone. Yes, coaches will deploy them as the last line of defense for the third phase on kickoffs, but that's more procedural than anything else. They're out there to trip guys up as a last-ditch effort. Plain and simple. Let's put this another way: If a kick returner has only a kicker to beat with the ball in their hands in the open field, that is a dream scenario for the return team.
No one passed along this memo to Tennessee Titans kicker Joey Slye, who has 14 career
tackles over eight incomplete seasons.
After the Titans notched an early third-quarter field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Slye lined up a picture-perfect form tackle on Jaguars returner Josh Cameron. Not only did Slye light Cameron up, but he also popped the ball right out of his hands to force a fumble. The Jaguars would recover the fumble as Cameron wondered what happened.
Dearest readers: Joey Slye happened.
You're about to watch #Titans K Joey Slye deliver a HUGE hit on the kickoff against #Jaguars KR Josh Cameron - and he forced a fumble! pic.twitter.com/jtU2mzSZFU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 15, 2026
That's the kind of tackle Slye might remember for the rest of his playing days. It's the sort of tackle where Slye resembled one of his sterling defensive teammates for a fleeting moment. The tackle was so good for a kicker that I'd venture to guess that its memory could rival any game-winning kick in Slye's mind.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Titans kicker made one of the season's biggest hits against the Jaguars (yes, really)
