When the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, pass rusher Arden Key made it no secret in the locker room after the game that he expected to be back with the Jaguars in 2023.
Two months later, Key is now a member of the Tennessee Titans after signing a three-year, $21 million deal with the Jaguars’ division rival.
On Monday, Key said that was a scenario he didn’t see coming and the Jaguars’ lackluster offers ahead of free agency felt disrespectful.
Arden Key loves the #Jaguars but feels disrespected he’s not still there. #Titans pic.twitter.com/x4cLIjIzac
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) March 20, 2023
“With Jacksonville, it was a shock to me, I ain’t gonna lie,” Key said Monday during an introductory press conference in Tennessee, via reporter Paul Kuharsky. “After the year, I thought I was gonna be a Jacksonville Jaguar.
“I felt disrespected because I came in, came over there, built up the culture, brought a whole lot of energy, changed the city, changed the town, and I felt like in my rightful mind, I was gonna be a Jacksonville Jaguar. But that didn’t happen. I still love the players, still love the teammates, love the city, love the fans, but we gotta see ’em twice.”
Key, 26, joined the Jaguars during the 2022 offseason on a one-year, $7 million deal. In his only season in Jacksonville, the pass rusher recorded 4.5 sacks and was second on the team in pressures with 51 in the regular season and playoffs.
Jacksonville is likely to get a late-round compensatory pick in the 2024 NFL Draft due to the loss of Key.
