Kicker Parkey places ’18 in rearview mirror

N A SHVILLE, TENN.» Tennessee’s Cody Parkey is back in the NFL and ready to kick again.

He wants to keep memories of 2018 — especially his missed field goal attempt with Chicago now commonly known as the Double Doink — in the past.

“It’s a new year,” Parkey said Wednesday. “It’s 2019, not ’18 anymore, and we’re just chugging along. I’m just excited to be a Titan.”

The Titans (2-3) signed Parkey on Tuesday after releasing Cairo Santos on Monday, a day after he missed three field goals and had a fourth blocked in a 14-7 loss to Buffalo. The Titans originally signed Santos on Sept. 4 after working out both Parkey and Santos. Now Parkey has the job for at least the next three games until veteran Ryan Succop is eligible to be activated off injured reserve.

Parkey will do the kicking against the Broncos on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.

Coach Mike Vrabel said both kickers were really close in that original workout for Tennessee, with each making every kicked asked of them.

“Intheend,youhavetomake decisions so we’ve moved on now here to Cody, and we’ll get started with that here today,” Vrabel said.

Santos at least had been in a training camp with Tampa Bay before being released at preseason’s end. He went 4 of 9 with the Titans on field goals, though he did connect on all 12 extra points.

Parkey has been working out on his own at home in Jupiter, Florida, since the Chicago Bears released him in late February despite having signed the kicker to a four-year contract before the 2018 season. Parkey was 23 of 30 on field goals during the regular season, the third-lowest conversion rate in the NFL, and he was 42 of 45 on extra points.

Six of his misses clanked off uprights, including his 43-yard attempt in the final seconds of Chicago’s wild-card loss to Philadelphia at Soldier Field. Parkey made the field goal that didn’t count because of a timeout. Then his kick hit the left upright before bouncing off the crossbar no good.

Asked what he learned from how last season ended, Parkey said perseverance.

“Not everything’s going to go your way, so it’s about how you respond and how you get back to it,” said Parkey, 27. “Never stay defeated and continue to put your best foot forward.”

If he was surprised at what happened in Chicago, he isn’t saying — at least not these now.

“I’ve answered those questions enough,” Parkey said.