Tensions boiled over during the AFC South matchup between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, November 30, with Titans running back Julius Chestnut alleging that Jaguars punter Logan Cooke made a shocking threat on the field.
According to The Associated Press, the heated exchange came amid a game that featured multiple scuffles, a barrage of penalties, and ended with a decisive Jacksonville win.
The incident centered on a kickoff return early in the fourth quarter. With 14:06 remaining, Titans returner Chimere Dike broke off a 47-yard return that ended in contact involving Cooke.
As Cooke attempted to disrupt the play, Chestnut stepped in to block him. Cooke went down on the play and was later evaluated for a concussion before returning to action.
According to Chestnut, emotions escalated quickly after that moment.
“I was just trying to play hard, and he came up to me and said he was going to kill me,” Chestnut said after the game. “So I don’t know what made him do that.”
Less than three minutes later, another return ignited more confrontation. After Dike’s 13-yard return with 11:49 left, players from both teams gathered, and Chestnut and Cooke again found themselves face to face. Officials stopped play and held a lengthy huddle before issuing multiple penalties.
Both teams were assessed unnecessary roughness penalties. For Jacksonville, Cooke and long snapper Ross Matiscik were flagged, while Titans safety Mike Brown was ejected from the game. In total, the Jaguars and Titans combined for 23 accepted penalties for 184 yards, underscoring how physical — and volatile — the afternoon became.
Chestnut said he was left stunned by the encounter and never received clarity on why Cooke was so upset.
“That was surprising to me,” Chestnut said. “I ain’t never seen nothing like that before.”
Cooke was not explicitly asked postgame to address Chestnut’s accusation, and the Jaguars later declined immediate comment. However, Cooke did acknowledge the intensity of the contest and his own demeanor on the field.
“I might have said some things that sounded rude,” Cooke said of a separate interaction with officials earlier in the game. “So I wanted to go clear the air.”
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen also addressed the situation, emphasizing discipline while standing by his team’s competitiveness.
“I’d like him to be smarter,” Coen said, referring to Cooke’s unnecessary roughness penalty, “but I was proud of our guys for competing.”
The Jaguars closed out the chaotic game with a 25–3 victory.