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Rishard Matthews unhappy with playing time, asks Titans for release

NFL, Tennessee Titans

Rishard Matthews apparently has had enough.

The veteran wide receiver told A to Z Sports on Wednesday that he has reached an agreement with the Tennessee Titans for his release. The Titans then said in a release Thursday that the team will in fact release him.

"EVERYTHING IS GOOD! JUST WASN'T HAPPY WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON BARELY GETTING ANY PLAYING TIME. IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON," he told the website in a text message.

"I've been the leading receiver [on the Titans] for two years. Then all of a sudden I'm barely playing and not even starting," Matthews added. "Using my injury as the scapegoat. Look at number of snaps and targets."

Earlier Wednesday, Matthews posted on Instagram: "When Daddy's home for good. That is unless someone Calls him to get off the couch."

He was not at the Titans' facility for what coach Mike Vrabel categorized as personal reasons.

Matthews told ESPN's Cameron Wolfe that the main factor in his decision to leave was that he felt some coaches didn't respect his skill set and therefore decreased his play-time because he wasn't one of Tennessee's fastest receivers.

The Titans said they planned to ease Matthews back into the lineup as he missed most of the offseason with a torn meniscus.

Matthews, who said he felt he had been 100 percent for multiple weeks, told ESPN that he believed the team was using his injury as an excuse to get other players more reps. He said he saw the writing on the wall and he had to "part ways before it was too late."

The veteran wideout, who signed a one-year extension with a base value of $7.5 million in August, was off to a slow start this season, catching only three of six targets for a total of 11 yards. His six targets are tied for fifth on the Titans. He played 36 snaps against the Miami Dolphins in the season opener, followed by 28 snaps in Week 2 and 31 in Week 3.

Matthews filled in as a punt returner on Sunday, after cornerback Adoree' Jackson was knocked out of the Titans' win over the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a concussion.

Matthews' role on the team diminished as second-year wide receiver Taywan Taylor and third-year wideout Tajae Sharpe saw their snaps increase. Now, Tennessee will rely on Taylor and Sharpe, along with Darius Jennings and Nick Williams, to make up for the loss of Matthews.

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