Cody Barton is on the move once again. Following one-year stints with the Commanders and Broncos, the veteran linebacker has a deal in place with the Titans, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
Barton is headed to Tennessee on a three-year deal, per Garafolo. This pact is worth $21MM, which represents a major raise compared to his previous deals. The 28-year-old collected $3.5MM in Washington and then $3.75MM in Denver. Now, Barton has landed a multi-year commitment and a $7MM AAV, by far the highest of his career.
Alex Singleton‘s Week 3 ACL tear moved Barton to the Broncos’ three-down LB centerpiece last season. Barton had gone from battling Jonas Griffith in a training camp competition to start alongside Singleton to being Denver’s lead presence on its defensive second level. Singleton is on his way back from an ACL tear, and the Broncos added Dre Greenlaw after losing Barton.
This marks Barton’s fourth team in four seasons, but the former third-round Seahawks pick did better for himself on this contract than his Broncos deal (one year, $2.5MM). Barton, 28, is coming off three straight 100-plus-tackle seasons. He topped out at 136 for a suddenly Bobby Wagner-less Seahawks team in 2022, adding six pass breakups that year. He added 121 tackles for the Commanders in 2023 but became a cap casualty as a new Washington regime took over.
Pro Football Focus rated Barton 46th among linebackers. He has logged at least a 91% snap share in each of his post-Seattle seasons, doing so after not breaking through as a Seahawks starter until his fourth season. The Titans should be expected to plug in Barton alongside 2024 FA addition Kenneth Murray, as Jack Gibbens and 2024 trade pickup Jerome Baker are unsigned.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.