After six years of grit and perseverance, Mason Kinsey bids a moving farewell to Nashville following final roster cuts, marking the end of a legendary underdog era.
No matter who the General Manager of the Tennessee Titans is, they always seem to find an undrafted free agent receiver and sign them to the active roster.
In recent years, there have been Mason Kinsey, Bryce Oliver, and Xavier Restrepo. This offseason, the Titans brought in Tyren Montgomery and Hank Beatty to try to continue this trend.
That trend didn't continue, as both Montgomery and Beatty were waived by the Titans. They could still be signed to the practice squad if the Titans choose to do so.
One former UDFA receiver made the 53-man roster, as Restrepo made the cut after working hard all offseason to get back to the player he was at Miami when he and Cam Ward were college teammates.
Restrepo self-reported that he ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, and he proved that wasn't a fluke on Saturday.
Unfortunately, this means that another fan favorite had to go. Mason Kinsey was one of the players the Titans cut on Sunday.
He posted a very heartfelt message to Titans fans on social media afterwards.
"As I write this, I can't help but be overwhelmed with gratitude," Kinsey said. "To the Titans organization, you brought in a 21-year-old kid from Berry College and gave him the opportunity of a lifetime. I've spent the last six and a half years in Nashville. This place has become my home. The people have become my family. What started out as a wide-eyed kid trying to figure life out has turned into a man leaving this place with nothing but love. I've made some of my best friends here, met my wife here, and started a life I never would have imagined. To the fans, I gave it everything I had. I'm forever grateful for the support and love y'all showed me! One thing is for certain... I'M FOREVER A TENNESSEE TITAN. Titan up. 12 out."
Kinsey's story is the definition of an underdog.
He played college football at Berry College at the Division III level. After a solid college career, he went undrafted and signed with the Titans in 2020. He got waived during final roster cuts and then joined the New England Patriots.
He was signed to the Patriots' practice squad, released in October, and re-signed two weeks later.
The Patriots finally parted ways with him for good later that year. Kinsey started his second stint with the Titans in 2021 and was cut in the preseason again, but joined the practice squad this time.
He even got elevated the Titans' active roster in 2021.
Kinsey had a cycle from 2022-25 in which he was repeatedly waived and re-signed to the practice squad. Titans fans began to admire his perseverance in the face of uncertainty.
No matter how many times the Titans waived him, he kept popping back up.
Kinsey didn't score an NFL touchdown with the Titans, but he is a true underdog story that fans fell in love with. It'll be sad not seeing him in a Titans uniform for the first time in years.
