Titans LB Jack Gibbens undergoes season-ending surgery

Jack Gibbons suffered an ankle injury on Sunday that ruled him out of the game. The third-year Titans linebacker will now be out for the rest of the season.

Gibbens was carted off shortly after an air cast was placed on his leg, indicating a lengthy absence. He now has to be operated on, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports a four month recovery timeline is in place. The 25-year-old should be healed well before the start of the 2025 campaign, but his absence will be felt in defense in the meantime. Head coach Brian Callahan has since confirmed that the procedure has taken place.

A former UDFA, Gibbens handled a notable role on defense in 2022 (62% snap share) while also being a regular contributor on special teams. He was limited to just five games that year, but he played in 14 games in 2023 while remaining a key figure in Tennessee’s linebacking corps. Gibbens made 95 tackles last season, so it came as no surprise that he was offered as an exclusive free agent in March.

That decision set the Minnesota product up to continue his tenure with the Titans, even though his defensive workload had taken a step back in 2024 before the injury. Gibbens nonetheless showcased his ability against the run, totaling 29 tackles in his final two full contests of the season. Once again on his way to finding himself as an ERFA, this injury will hurt his value.

Tennessee is 2-8 on the year despite boasting the league’s No. 2 total defense. That unit will be shorthanded the rest of the way with Gibbens no longer in the fold, but he should be back in the fold for spring training, assuming he is retained by the team again.