Tennessee’s offensive line has been hit with injuries from the start of the season. The staff has shuffled things around up front, never really finding a rhythm. One of those key injuries has been Jack Jones, who has been out with an undisclosed issue.

We now know that that injury was pretty serious, apparently. Tennessee head coach started off his press conference by announcing that Jack Jones is going to retire from football, citing neck issues.

#Vols Jr OL Jack Jones is retiring from football with recurring neck issues. — GoVols247 (@GoVols247) October 23, 2017

Jones was thought to be a key part of this offensive line, starting several games at guard over the past couple of seasons. Jones is just a junior. Butch noted that Jack had met with doctors, ultimately coming to the conclusion that it would be in his best interest to no longer play football.

Venzell Boulware left the team earlier this month, so suddenly — Tennessee is pretty thin up front. The Vols are likely to have Brett Kendrick starting at guard the rest of the way with Ryan Johnson backing him up. I’m sure they aren’t done experimenting with combinations, though.