Mariani returning to the Music City

Saturday was a tough day for former Havre High and Montana Grizzly star Marc Mariani.

For the second time in his NFL career, Mariani was announced as one of the final training camp cuts, as the Chicago Bears surprisingly released the seven-year NFL vet from his contract.

However, the move by the Bears may have turned out to be a blessing for Mariani after he was picked up by the team who drafted him in 2010, the Tennessee Titans.

After notching career-highs in catches and receiving yards with the Bears last season, Mariani seemed to be a lock to make the Bears' 53-man roster again this season. He even sat out Chicago's final preseason game last week against Cleveland — something that’s standard for starters and veteran players who are usually already inside the 53-man roster during preseason.

However, the Bears released the bombshell Saturday, announcing they had released the former Blue Pony.

However, Mariani was hugely popular in the five seasons he spent with the Titans, and on Monday, they decided to bring him home, agreeing to terms with Mariani on a one-year deal.

Mariani, who made the Pro Bowl with Tennessee during his rookie campaign, played two seasons with the Titans, but missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to injury. He was released during final cuts in August 2014, and signed by the Chicago Bears during November 2014.

Mariani enjoyed big success during his first stint in Tennessee.

In 2010, Mariani finished second in the AFC and fourth in the NFL with a 12.2-yard punt return average and he finished fourth in the AFC with a 25.5-yard kick return average. Mariani set the franchise record for most combined return yards on punts and kickoffs that season with 1,859 yards. His total exceeded Derrick Mason’s previous record of 1,794 yards in 2000.

Mariani became just the second Titans/Oilers player to record a punt return touchdown and kickoff return touchdown in the same regular season in 2010. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson did it in both 1975 and 1977.

In 2011, Mariani appeared in all 16 games as a reserve, ranking seventh in the AFC with a 10.7-yard average and eighth in the AFC with a 23.4-yard average.

After catching 20 balls for 200 yards, and averaging 26.1 yards-per-return on kickoffs and 6.6 yards-per-return on punts with the Bears a year ago — including six games as a starter at WR, Mariani was re-signed by Chicago in the spring, and he appeared in the Bears' first three preseason games and was listed on the depth chart as a backup to Alshon Jefferey at WR and the starting punt returner.

Now, though, Mariani, who will wear No. 87 with the Titans, will make his regular season debut when Tennessee plays at Minnesota Sunday.