Ex Jaguars Arden Key's 6-game suspension is a big deal for Titans

Defensive end Arden Key left the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023 and promptly signed with the Tennessee Titans. They expected him to build off of his first season in Nashville but the plan has come to a halt in the light of the news that he got a six-game suspension.

Key will miss the first six games of the 2024 season while he serves a suspension for a violation of the NFL's performance-enhancing drug policy. Tennessee will now be tasked with finding ways to replace his production. Last year, the former LSU Tiger logged six sacks, the second-highest mark of his career, and 40 total pressures.

The news Key will have to sit out six games wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the fact that defensive end Denico Autry, who led the Titans with 11.5 sacks last year, bolted for the divisional foe the Houston Texans. The silver lining is that he'll be available for the Titans' two matchups against the Jags late in 2024.

Coincidentally, Autry also was suspended for violations of the league's PED policy. This has led fans to jokingly suggest that they broke policy together. Like Key, he'll miss six games, which means that the Jaguars will get an edge when they face Houston in Week 3.

Key, a third-round pick in 2018 by the Las Vegas Raiders, was underwhelming in his first three NFL seasons, registering a measly three sacks. The Silver & Black cut ties with him but was quickly scooped by the San Francisco 49ers. That's probably the best thing that could happen to the Georgia native, as he went on to enjoy a career revival in the Bay Area, registering a career-best 6.5 sacks.

Having raised his stock, Key signed with the Jags in 2022. At the time, he could've also joined the Kansas City Chiefs but chose Jacksonville because he felt it presented a bigger challenge. During his one and only season in Duval, the defensive end became an integral piece of their pass rush rotation, logging 4.5 sacks.

Following yet another productive season, Key felt slighted by the offer the Jags made him to return in 2023 because he felt he played a key role in their turnaround.

Arden Key's suspension won't directly affect the Jaguars in 2024

You could argue that the Jacksonville Jaguars missed Arden Key last year. While he might've exaggerated his role in their 2022 turnaround, he most definitely was an important piece to the puzzle. While his production didn't pop off the stat sheet, his versatility to line up across different spots at the line of scrimmage allowed the coaching staff to deploy him in different ways. This in turn presented more favorable matchups for the rest of the defense.

The case could be made that the Tennessee Titans will miss Key even more during his six-game suspension. As Mike Herndon of Paul Kuharsky noted, Harold Landry will be their only proven pass rusher in 2024.

Shane Ray was a former first-round pick who's spent the last six years away from football. It's hard to tell what kind of impact he'll have in Tennessee, or if he'll even make their 53-man roster. Then again, he might have a legitimate chance in light of the Arden Key suspension. Moreover, the Titans still have two-time Pro Bowl Jeffery Simmons in the fold, so it may not be the best idea to overlook their defensive front.

In the end, though, the Arden Key won't directly benefit the Jaguars but it would put a dent on the Titans' chances of leaving the AFC South cellar in 2024.

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