A contentious American football clash between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars saw Titans running back Julius Chestnut allege that Jaguars punter Logan Cooke threatened to kill him during Sunday’s game.
The extraordinary claim emerged following a series of heated exchanges and penalties that marred the AFC South clash.
The initial flashpoint occurred when Chestnut blocked Cooke after the punter appeared to attempt to trip Titans returner Chimere Dike at the end of a 47-yard return. Cooke was subsequently evaluated for a concussion before returning to the field.
Another scuffle erupted shortly after, with Chestnut and Cooke once again at the centre of the confrontation.
Officials intervened, issuing unnecessary roughness penalties to both teams. Cooke and long snapper Ross Matiscik were flagged for the Jaguars, while Titans safety Mike Brown was ejected from the game.
"I was just trying to play hard, and he came up to me and said he was going to kill me," Chestnut stated, adding, "So I don't know what made him do that."
The running back expressed his surprise, noting he had "never seen nothing like that before" and received no explanation for Cooke’s apparent anger.
Cooke, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound player, was not directly questioned about Chestnut’s specific accusation after the game.
However, he did comment on his aggressive style, saying he "likes hitting people" and acknowledged Chestnut had the better of him in what he described as an "eventful" game.
Cooke also mentioned speaking with a referee at halftime to "clear the air" after potentially saying "some things that sounded rude."
Jaguars coach Liam Coen acknowledged the frustrations, particularly concerning issues with their long snapper, and expressed pride in his players’ competitive spirit, despite wishing Cooke had been "smarter" regarding his penalty.
The Jaguars ultimately secured a 25-3 victory in a game that saw a remarkable 23 accepted penalties, totalling 184 yards, highlighting the intense rivalry between the two teams.
