The Titans agreed to terms on Monday with Mariani, a seventh-round pick by the Titans in the 2010 NFL Draft who made it to the Pro Bowl during his record-breaking rookie season.
The widely popular Mariani played two seasons with the Titans, but missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to injury. He was released during final cuts in August 2014, and signed by the Chicago Bears during November 2014.
Mariani was released by the Bears over the weekend. The Titans released receiver Tre McBride to make room for Mariani on the team’s 53-man roster.
Mariani enjoyed big success during his first stint in Tennessee.
In 2010, Mariani finished second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL with a 12.2-yard punt return average and he finished fourth in the AFC with a 25.5-yard kick return average. Mariani set the franchise record for most combined return yards on punts and kickoffs that season with 1,859 yards. His total exceeded Derrick Mason’s previous record of 1,794 yards in 2000.
Mariani became just the second Titans/Oilers player to record a punt return touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in the same regular season in 2010. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson did it in both 1975 and 1977.
In 2011, Mariani appeared in all 16 games as a reserve, ranking seventh in the AFC with a 10.7-yard average and eighth in the AFC with a 23.4-yard average.
Mariani totaled 22 receptions for 300 yards in 2015 with the Bears, including a six-catch, 80-yard game in the team’s season finale. He averaged 26.1 yards-per-return on kickoffs and 6.6 yards-per-return on punts.
After releasing return man Dexter McCluster over the weekend, Titans coach Mike Mularkey said he anticipated using rookie Kevin Byard as the team’s punt returner and McBride as the team’s kickoff returner.
via Titans.
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