"Safety Donnie Nickey said he was surprised to hear that quarterback Kerry Collins retired on Thursday, but did see some signs last season that the 16-year pro might be thinking about calling it quits.

The longest-tenured member of the Titans at eight seasons, Nickey became good friends with Collins over the past five years in Nashville. He saw Collins record a productive 2010 season — completing 160 of his 278 passes (57.6 percent), throwing for 14 touchdowns versus eight interceptions and posting an 82.8 quarterback rating.

"I know he can still play at a high level," Nickey said. "I think he was willing and wanted to help (rookie Jake Locker) out. But I guess when your mind gets made up, it gets made up. I was definitely surprised."

Nickey thinks the Titans' headline-grabbing quarterback saga of 2010 took its toll on Collins, whose only comment Thursday was through a statement.

"You could kind of sense it," Nickey said. "I think there was a little bit of withdrawal last year when everything was going down earlier in the season.""