Five ex-Chiefs returning to Arrowhead as Titans

? The first inkling Dexter McCluster had that Ryan Succop was joining him in Tennessee came from a posting on Instagram. McCluster didn’t know anything for certain until he walked into a meeting.

“He stood up and introduced himself,” McCluster said, “and I said, ‘Wow. Great to have you.'”

It was a rather strange reunion for McCluster and Succop, who spent last season helping the Kansas City Chiefs to the playoffs. McCluster signed with the Titans as a free agent, while Succop capped a whirlwind week in which he was waived by Kansas City by signing with Tennessee on Monday.

Why so strange, though? Well, both will be back in Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” McCluster said. “I spent four years there. The atmosphere at Arrowhead is always rocking. It’s going to be different on the other side. I don’t think I ever saw the other locker room, ever, in my career there.”

Turns out that Succop never did, either.

“I’ve walked by it a number of times but I’ve never actually been in it,” said Succop, the most accurate kicker in Chiefs history. “That’ll be an interesting deal.”

In this modern era of free agency, it’s not uncommon for players to face their former teams. A few members of the Chiefs have a history with Tennessee, including wide receiver Donnie Avery.

But when McCluster and Succop are lumped together with safety Bernard Pollard, defensive end Ropati Pitoitua and running back Jackie Battle, well, that’s a whole lot of familiarity.

“They’re doing good. They’re real good men,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “Glad to have them here, and you know, we’re excited about kicking off the season.”

With Succop, quite literally.

“Unless they kick it to us,” Whisenhunt said with a laugh.

If that’s the case, it just might be McCluster getting his hands on the ball first.

He was signed by the Titans to do a number of things, whether that’s running the ball out of the backfield or catching passes. But his biggest value just may be on special teams. He made the Pro Bowl as a punt returner, and his speed and shiftiness make him a dangerous kick returner.