No. 49 – Tennessee Titans | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | May 3, 1996||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Hapeville Charter Career Academy (Union City, Georgia) | ||||||||||
College: | LSU (2015–2017) | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2018 / round: 3 / pick: 87 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Player stats at PFR |
Arden Key Jr. (born May 3, 1996) is an American professional football linebacker for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Key attended Hapeville Charter Career Academy in Union City, Georgia. He recorded 15.5 sacks as a senior, eight as a junior and 12 as a sophomore. He committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football. [1] [2]
Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Key was ranked as the No. 6 defensive end prospect in the class of 2015. [3]
As a true freshman at LSU in 2015, Key played in 12 games and started the final nine. He recorded 41 tackles and five sacks and was named a freshman All-American. [4] [5] As a sophomore in 2016, he set a single-season school record by recording 12 sacks. [6] He earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press. [7] As a junior in 2017, Key was limited to 8 games due to injury, but finished with 33 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. On January 4, 2018, Key officially announced that he would be entering the 2018 NFL draft. [8]
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m) | 238 lb (108 kg) | 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) | 10 in (0.25 m) | 4.88 s | 1.75 s | 2.76 s | 4.25 s | 7.16 s | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | 18 [9] | |
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day [10] [11] |
Prior to Key's junior season, he was projected as the number one overall prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports. [12] In January 2018, he was ranked as the number two draft prospect at the outside linebacker position, behind Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech, by Mel Kiper of ESPN. [13] Key was projected to be an early first round selection, but his off-the-field issues caused his draft stock to plummet.
Key was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round as the 87th pick overall. [14]
After having two sacks in the final two games he played in the 2019 season, Key suffered a broken foot and was ruled out the rest of the season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 7, 2019. [15]
Key was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 18, 2020, [16] and activated three days later. [17] On December 26, 2020, in a Week 16 home game against the Miami Dolphins, Key committed a 15-yard personal foul penalty when he grabbed the facemask of Dolphin QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on a play where the Dolphins gained 34 yards; the penalty and catch put Miami in field goal range and Miami hit one from 44 yards to earn a 26-25 win, which eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention.
Key was waived on April 15, 2021. [18]
On April 23, 2021, Key signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. [19]
On March 30, 2022, Key signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. [20] He played in all 17 games with three starts, recording 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
On March 20, 2023, Key signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. [21] He played in 17 games with nine starts, recording 30 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles.
On July 30, 2024, Key was suspended 6 games for violating the NFL's policy against performance–enhancing drugs. [22] However, Key successfully appealed the ban, and his suspension was overturned on August 17. [23]
Glenn Jamon Dorsey is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, receiving All-American honors twice and earning recognition as the top college defensive player of the 2007 season. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the fifth overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, and played for the San Francisco 49ers later in his career as well.
Aldon Jacarus Smith is an American former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Smith was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection as an outside linebacker with the 49ers in 2012. He also played defensive end for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.
Bruce Pernell Irvin Jr. is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round with the 15th overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft. Irvin won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos, and also played in Super Bowl XLIX where he became the first player ever to be ejected from a Super Bowl. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
Chandler James Jones is an American professional football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Mario Lashun Edwards Jr. is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft. He has also been a member of the New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
Donald “Dee” Ford is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.
Cassius Lee Marsh Sr. is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at UCLA. He also played for the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.
Kerry Hyder Jr. is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football for Texas Tech.
Reggie Keith Ragland Jr. is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, winning two national championships. He was then drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. In 2016, he missed his rookie season after being placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL. During the 2017 season, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a fourth round pick in the 2019 draft. On January 6, 2018, Ragland started his first career playoff game, registering nine tackles during the team's 22–21 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Two years later he won his first Super Bowl, recording two tackles when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers.
Joseph Anthony Bosa is an American professional football linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected third overall by the Chargers in the 2016 NFL draft, where he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Bosa has since been cited as among the best pass rushers in the NFL. He is the son of former NFL player John Bosa and the older brother of current NFL player Nick Bosa.
DeForest George Buckner is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. With the 49ers, Buckner made a Pro Bowl and was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2019. With the Colts, he was selected to the first-team All Pro in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2023.
Kwon Alexander is an American professional football linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Alexander has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maurice Roy Hurst Jr. is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He was an All- American at the University of Michigan, and drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft.
Maliek Collins Sr. is an American professional football defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Nebraska and previously played for the Houston Texans.
Christopher Deshun Jones is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was selected by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft. Jones is a three-time Super Bowl champion, a five-time All-Pro member, and a five-time Pro Bowler.
Solomon Christopher Thomas is an American professional football defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford and was drafted third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2017 NFL draft.
Haason Samir Reddick is an American professional football linebacker for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Temple, and was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has also played for the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Clelin Ferrell is an American professional football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Clemson Tigers, winning the 2018 Ted Hendricks Award prior to being selected fourth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2019 NFL draft. Ferrell has also played for the San Francisco 49ers, making with the team.
Devin Marcel White is an American professional football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fifth overall in the 2019 NFL draft. He spent five seasons with the Buccaneers and won a Super Bowl championship with the team in Super Bowl LV.
Neil Farrell Jr. is an American professional football nose tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU and was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.