The Tennessee Titans are undergoing yet another change on the offensive line.

With right tackle Leroy Watson IV ruled out this week with a back injury, the Titans’ revolving door at the position is reverting back to the beginning as the team looks to start Nicholas Petit-Frere against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11.

Petit-Frere, 25, started the team’s first four games at right tackle, but was benched following poor performances. But, with his backups struggling to play well and stay healthy, the Titans are giving Petit-Frere another shot.

“The week has been good,” Petit-Frere said via team reporter Jim Wyatt. “We’ve been preparing a lot for Minnesota this week, so ready for the challenge that’s coming up. I love getting a chance to help this team, and glad to get an opportunity to be back out there.”

Petit-Frere has had an absolute whirlwind of a season so far, and it’s only half over. After dealing with an injury back in training camp, the Titans offensive tackle started off slow but was able to win the starting job on the right side.

In Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, Petit-Frere was benched by the team after a missed assignment that led to quarterback Will Levis being sacked. Since then, Petit-Frere has effectively been in coach Brian Callahan’s doghouse trying to earn his way back onto the field. The Titans have looked at a few different tackles other than him, but none have proven to be a better option than Petit-Frere.

The Titans will almost certainly address the right tackle spot in free agency or the NFL Draft, so Petit-Frere has to change the narrative in the second half of the season, or otherwise he may be replaced for good.

The Titans and Vikings are set to kick off at 12 p.m. CT tomorrow.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

A Tennessee cop allegedly shot and killed seven dogs with a rifle during an animal welfare check while their guardians were out to dinner.

Connor Brackin, the now former McNairy County Sheriff’s deputy, responded to the house in Bethel Springs, Tenn., on Nov. 4, following a call to check on the dogs, according to Atlanta News First.

When Brackin arrived, he allegedly opened fire upon the poor pups for no apparent reason, according to authorities.

The dogs’ owners, Kevin Dismuke and his wife, were out to dinner, according to Fox 13 Memphis.

The couple say when they returned home from the meal they found three of their dogs dead inside their home and four more dead outside, according to that report.

“To step out of your car with a .223 caliber rifle and shoot through my damn house,” Dismuke said to the outlet in utter disbelief.

The apoplectic dog dad said that someone had called law enforcement reporting malnourished pets at an abandoned home

“I don’t know where they come up with the idea that they were malnourished or abandoned,” he told Fox 13.

“Why he pulled up and done what he done, that’s something I don’t have an answer for. I’ll never have an answer for it,” Dismuke said.

A warrant was issued Tuesday and the alleged dog killer turned himself in on Wednesday, according to the report. He was released on bond.

Brackin had not even been on the job for a month at the time of the killings, according to the sheriff’s office.

He was dismissed from his post and was charged with seven counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and eight counts of reckless endangerment.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has received a $750,000 grant to boost an initiative to connect people from the inner city of Knoxville and rural areas of the Southern Appalachians with “green economy” jobs that promote sustainability and environmental conservation.

The initiative − under the UT leadership of professor Jon Shefner, Department of Sociology head Stephanie Bohon and associate professor Mitsunori Misawa − is called East Tennessee Works, and it is designed to connect 5,000 East Tennesseans with career opportunities in a low-carbon, inclusive green economy.

The Brookings Institution identified Knoxville in 2011 as a large and fast-growing area for the green economy. Using the grant, Shefner said, East Tennessee Works will increase training access in Black and rural communities he says have been underrepresented.

UT will operate as a middleman in the job market to connect employers, workers, training programs, labor organizations and community groups offering services such as child care and transportation.

“We will be funding many of these organizations that provide these services,” Shefner said in a news release. “We’ll be bringing them together in ways that help recruit potential workers, and we will be reaching out to industry (partners) to find out what their hiring possibilities are, their specific needs and how to bring them together with the newly trained, newly skilled folks.”

East Tennessee Works is another way to meet workforce demands

The initiative will work to meet the demands for skilled labor by focusing on underrepresented workers within the green economy. Many people aren’t using their skills, are underemployed or are working several jobs for not enough pay, Shefner said.

The initiative aims to train employees, help them transition to positions that offer $30 or more per hour and connect them with opportunities to keep growing.

East Tennessee Works prioritizes green jobs, with a focus on companies working toward conserving the environment through steps such as reducing ecological footprints, building energy-efficient buildings and installing solar panels.

Through this initiative, UT is working with these organizations in Knox, Anderson and Campbell counties:

• TELOS Global, electric vehicle parts manufacturer
• Nonprofit organization Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development
• Community Organizations Networking Neighborhoods Encouraging Change Together Ministries
• A local labor council of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

Grant will help Knoxville’s green economy growth

The grant comes from the Jobs for the Future Quality Green Jobs Regional Challenge. Only six teams received the grant, which is designed to build on university efforts to connect academia and community service. This was the final round of funding from the challenge.

“These recipients embody the forward-thinking solutions we need when it comes to addressing the dual challenges of climate change and economic inequality,” Taj Eldridge, managing director for climate innovation at JFFLabs, said in a news release. “We’re proud to support these organizations as they create new opportunities for their communities and develop solutions that contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future.”

Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.

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