Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

Titans’ Treylon Burks Ahead Of Schedule; Lloyd Cushenberry Targeting Week 1 Return

Treylon Burks faces this year’s training camp as a pending free agent. The former first-rounder expectedly had his fifth-year option declined this spring, a move which came about in no small part due to his injury history.

Burks is rehabbing an ACL tear, the latest ailment to leave him sidelined in his career. After suffering the injury in October, it was eventually determined surgery would be required. The timing of the procedure led to questions about Burks’ availability for the offseason and the start of the 2025 campaign.

When speaking about the progress made so far in rehab, though, head coach Brian Callahan offered an encouraging update. Burks is ahead of schedule, Callahan said during this week’s minicamp (via team reporter Jim Wyatt). He added the 25-year-old is essentially at 80% right now, preventing him from participating in on-field work in a full capacity.

Callahan said he is hopeful Burks will be cleared in time for training camp next month. That would be a critical development for the Arkansas product, who might not be considered a roster lock at this point. Burks has played just 27 games to date, and his rookie campaign (33-444-1 statline) has been his most productive so far. Acquired to replace – at least in part – A.J. Brown, he has been unable to do so. A healthy camp could at least allow for Burks to carve out a role alongside the likes of Calvin Ridley and free agent pickup Tyler Lockett.

In other injury news, center Lloyd Cushenberry is making steady progress in his own rehab. A November Achilles tear ended the veteran center’s debut campaign in Tennessee and began a lengthy road to recovery. Cushenberry is aiming to be available in time for Week 1 of the 2025 season, though.

“I feel good, man,” the former Broncos starter said (via Wyatt). “I am close to being back, cleared and healthy and ready to go. The offseason has been good, I am locking in on my diet, getting in the best shape as I can. I am doing well.”

Cushenberry will reprise his role atop the center depth chart when he is cleared. Improved play up front will be a target for the Titans in 2025 after the team added left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency. Getting Cushenberry – who signed a four-year, $50MM pact last March – back in the fold would be key for Tennessee’s offense. It will be interesting to see if he manages to receive clearance in time to participate in training camp on at least a part-time basis.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 6/6/25

We saw another 2025 NFL Draft pick sign their rookie contract today:

Tennessee Titans

Dike was the first of three rookie wideouts that the Titans brought in for their No. 1 overall pick. Despite Dike having lower receiving numbers than both of the other rookie receivers, a 4.34-second 40-yard dash and a strong interview helped inform the Titans’ decision to take him as the first pick on Day 3 of the draft.

2025 NFL Cap Space, By Team

This week started with a point on the NFL calendar that has been important for decades. Although teams have not needed to wait until June to make their most expensive cuts in many years, they do not see the funds from post-June 1 designations until that point.

With June 1 coming and going, a fourth of the league has seen the savings from post-June 1 releases arrive. That has affected the NFL’s cap-space hierarchy. Here is how every team stands (via OverTheCap) following June 2 changes:

  1. New England Patriots: $67.34MM
  2. San Francisco 49ers: $53.49MM
  3. Detroit Lions: $40.12MM
  4. New York Jets: $39.8MM
  5. Las Vegas Raiders: $36.16MM
  6. Arizona Cardinals: $32.11MM
  7. Dallas Cowboys: $32.11MM
  8. Pittsburgh Steelers: $31.88MM
  9. Seattle Seahawks: $31.21MM
  10. Tennessee Titans: $30.16MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $28.94MM
  12. Cincinnati Bengals: $27.08MM
  13. Los Angeles Chargers: $26.83MM
  14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $26.63MM
  15. Jacksonville Jaguars: $26.54MM
  16. Philadelphia Eagles: $25.79MM
  17. New Orleans Saints: $22.62MM
  18. Washington Commanders: $21.13MM
  19. Indianapolis Colts: $20.09MM
  20. Los Angeles Rams: $19.44MM
  21. Baltimore Ravens: $18.95MM
  22. Carolina Panthers: $18.69MM
  23. Minnesota Vikings: $18.49MM
  24. Cleveland Browns: $18.2MM
  25. Houston Texans: $16.3MM
  26. Denver Broncos: $16.23MM
  27. Chicago Bears: $14.76MM
  28. Miami Dolphins: $13.81MM
  29. Kansas City Chiefs: $10.75MM
  30. Atlanta Falcons: $5.02MM
  31. New York Giants: $3.82MM
  32. Buffalo Bills: $1.69MM

The Jets saw their situation change the most from post-June 1 designations, as $13.5MM became available to the team after its Aaron Rodgers and C.J. Mosley cuts. Teams have up to two post-June 1 designations at their disposals. Five clubs — the Jets, Browns, Ravens, Eagles and 49ers — used both slots. Only three other teams made a post-June 1 cut before that seminal date. The eight that made these moves will have dead money split between 2025 and 2026.

Baltimore used the cost-defraying option to release Marcus Williams and Justin Tucker, while Cleveland — in Year 4 of the regrettable Deshaun Watson partnership — used it to move on from Juan Thornhill and Dalvin Tomlinson. As the Eagles’ option bonus-heavy payroll included two hefty bonus numbers for Darius Slay and James Bradberry, the reigning Super Bowl champions released both 30-something cornerbacks. Together, Slay and Bradberry will count more than $20MM on Philadelphia’s 2026 cap sheet. As for this year, though, the Browns, Eagles, Ravens and 49ers respectively saved $9.85MM, $9.4MM, $6.3MM, $6.4MM and $5.6MM, according to Spotrac.

The Jaguars made a mid-offseason decision to release Gabe Davis, doing so not long after trading up to draft Travis Hunter — with the plan to primarily play him at wide receiver — at No. 2 overall. Off-field issues, coupled with a down 2024 season, made Tucker expendable — after the Ravens drafted Tyler Loop in Round 6. The Vikings moved off Garrett Bradbury‘s contract and will replace him with free agency addition Ryan Kelly, while Mason lasted two seasons paired with C.J. Stroud‘s rookie deal. The 49ers made it known early they were moving on from Javon Hargrave, while 2024 trade addition Maliek Collins also exited the team’s D-tackle room.

Derek Carr‘s retirement being processed Tuesday also changed the Saints’ funding. The team will spread the dead money ($50.13MM) across two years. Even with the number being reduced this year, the Saints will be hit with the second-highest single-player dead money hit (behind only the Broncos’ Russell Wilson separation) in NFL history as a result of the Carr exit. The Saints will only be responsible for $19.21MM of that total in 2025. As they did with Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox‘s retirements last year, the Eagles will also process Brandon Graham‘s hit this way.

Eight of this year’s post-June 1 releases remain in free agency. The Patriots added Bradbury to replace the now-retired David Andrews, while the Vikings scooped up Hargrave. As the Steelers await Rodgers’ decision, they added two other post-June 1 releases in Slay and Thornhill. Tomlinson joined the Cardinals not long after his Browns release.

Titans Sign RB Tyrion Davis-Price

5:00pm: In a corresponding move to the Davis-Price addition, Bernard has been waived. In the likely event he clears waivers tomorrow, the latter will be free to sign with a new team at any time.

9:44am: Tyrion Davis-Price has lined up his next NFL opportunity. The former 49ers and Eagles running back has agreed to a two-year deal with the Titans, per his agent (h/t NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport).

A third-round pick of San Francisco in 2022, Davis-Price made just six appearances during his rookie campaign. He saw even less in the way of usage the following season, and in December of 2023 the 49ers moved on by waiving him. Davis-Price finished out the season on the team’s practice squad.

That was followed by a futures contract with the Eagles, one which offered the opportunity to compete for a larger workload. Davis-Price was nevertheless waived during roster cutdowns, although he immediately re-joined the team on the practice squad. The 24-year-old made only one appearance during the campaign – a Week 17 game in which he received three carries – but was again retained via a futures deal following the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. One month ago, however, Davis-Price was waived.

As expected, no team put in a claim, making him a free agent. No known suitors had emerged prior to today’s news, which comes as no surprise given Davis-Price’s sparse NFL production to date. This Titans pact will allow him to join the team well in advance of training camp and thus allow him to compete for a role on his third career team.

Tennessee still has starter Tony Pollard in place at the running back spot, and the team’s backfield will once again include Tyjae Spears in 2025. The Titans also have Julius Chestnut, 2025 sixth-round selection Kalel Mullings and undrafted rookie Micah Bernard in the fold. Those three will be joined by Davis-Price this summer as they compete for a depth spot on the team’s Week 1 roster.

The Titans ranked 19th in rushing last season, but a number of changes have taken place on offense since then. Multiple new starters up front, along with No. 1 pick Cam Ward at quarterback, will raise expectations for the unit. Davis-Price will of course not be expected to elevate Tennessee’s running game to any notable extent, but he could carve out a role with his latest team over the coming months.

2025 NFL Trades

The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. While the Cowboys and Steelers’ George Pickens swap showed moves can be made at other points on the NFL calendar, early March, the draft, the 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. On that note, it is a good time to check in on what has transpired on the trade market between windows two and three.

Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2025:

March 1

49ers chose running back Jordan James at 147

March 4

Rams traded pick to Vikings, moving up to No. 172 for linebacker Chris Paul Jr.

March 5

March 6

March 7

Seahawks chose quarterback Jalen Milroe at 92

March 9

Seahawks used No. 52 to trade up (via the Titans) 17 spots for safety Nick Emmanwori, drafted running back Damien Martinez at 223; Steelers selected quarterback Will Howard at 185

March 10

Texans added wide receiver Jaylin Noel at 79, sent 236 to Jaguars in Day 2 trade; Commanders chose wideout Jaylin Lane at No. 128 

Eagles used No. 164 to climb one spot (via Chiefs) in first round for linebacker Jihaad Campbell

March 11

March 12

Bills took Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock at 170; Cowboys chose guard Ajani Cornelius at No. 204

Titans drafted running back Kalel Mullings at No. 188; Cowboys chose running back Phil Mafah at 239

March 13

March 15

Vikings packaged No. 187 in trade-down move (via Texans); 49ers drafted safety Marques Sigle at 160

April 3

Patriots traded down from No. 171 (via Lions) to draft kicker Andres Borregales; Cowboys chose defensive tackle Jay Toia at 217

April 26

Seahawks selected defensive lineman Rylie Mills at No. 142; Vikings traded No. 172 to Rams

May 7

June 2

Pick could upgrade to fourth-rounder if performance-based conditions are met

AFC South Notes: WRs, Anderson, Sneed

Three receivers in the AFC South are facing big seasons for different reasons in 2025, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Titans wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Treylon Burks and Texans wideout John Metchie all are looking to have impactful 2025 campaigns in order to improve their prospects for the future.

Ridley returns to Tennessee as the team’s leading receiver from 2024, but he’ll be in a much-improved receiving corps this season. He’s been joined by veterans Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson and rookies Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and Xavier Restrepo as targets for No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward. Volin argues that, with Ridley being 30 years old, the Titans may feel comfortable moving on from Ridley in favor of their several other options in the future. Even with a post-June 1 designation, cutting Ridley would not save them any cap space this year, but if Ridley can’t prove to be a worthy asset in 2025, his contract provides a potential out that could limit his dead money to $8.02MM and increase the team’s cap savings to $18.73 for 2026, should they cut him.

After Tennessee made the decision to decline Burks’ fifth-year option, it’s certain that the 25-year-old will be headed into the final year of his rookie contract. Through three seasons, Burks has struggled mightily with injuries, missing 24 of a possible 51 games. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise, then, that he may not make it through the offseason. With the lack of production, the influx of new talent, and only $1.91MM of dead money facing the team should they cut him, Burks faces long odds of making the roster in 2025.

Metchie, unfortunately, faces similar challenges. Metchie’s health issues stem, initially, from a surprising diagnosis of leukemia that halted his rookie season before it even began. In two years since returning to the team, though, Metchie has failed to make much of an impact, despite injuries to his teammates providing plenty of opportunities for him to do so. Like Burks, Metchie is now heading into the final year of his rookie contract and dealing with an influx of new talent like veteran Christian Kirk and Day 2 rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Metchie, a Day 2 pick himself, will need to tap into the potential that got him drafted that high in order to ensure his roster status for the 2025 NFL season.

Here are a couple other rumors from around the AFC South:

  • Former No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. is not yet eligible for an extension, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about it. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year told reporters recently that he “most definitely” wants to remain in Houston for the rest of his career. With 18.0 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, and 41 quarterback hits through two seasons, one would imagine that the feeling is mutual. The Texans will have to wait until he completes his third season of NFL play, though, until they can extend their young pass rusher with the contract that he desires.
  • Two days ago, we reported that Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed was progressing well in his rehabilitation but noted that there wasn’t yet a timeline for his return. There doesn’t appear to have been any new information, but Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt told fans in a mailbag yesterday that “the plan is to have him ready to go for the fall.” So, it seems Sneed will continue his recovery work for the remainder of the summer with plans to be back, hopefully, in time for training camp.

Titans Rumors: Sneed, Latham, Restrepo

The Titans’ investment in former Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed really failed to deliver dividends in 2024. After sending a third-round pick to Kansas City for the 28-year-old defender, Tennessee only saw five games out of Sneed before a quad injury knocked him out for the remainder of the season. What’s worse is that Sneed played poorly in those five contests, grading out as the team’s worst defender, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). If he had played enough games, his defensive grade would’ve been the worst for any cornerback in the league, per PFF.

What’s even worse, Sneed was involved this offseason in a civil trial stemming from an incident that led to an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. Sneed was accused of being involved with shots being fired at the plaintiff which struck his vehicle. An unnamed associate was also included in the allegation.

The civil case was ordered to mediation today, according to Paul Kuharsky, as Sneed’s attorney argued that “the alleged acts, if any, were performed by John Doe without any assistance, encouragement, or direction by L’Jarius Sneed.” Sneed will still see a grand jury date at some point in the future for the criminal side of the case.

In the meantime, head coach Brian Callahan spoke on Sneed’s recovery to reporters, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. Callahan claimed that Sneed is progressing as expected and is in a good spot. That being said, the team is still having to work to manage his workload through practices, and there doesn’t appear to be a timeline yet for his return.

Here are a couple other recent rumors coming out of Nashville:

  • Callahan also spoke on the fitness of second-year right tackle JC Latham, per Wyatt. Latham’s weight was a noted issue at times during his rookie season, but he seems to be turning things around in Year 2. According to Callahan, Latham “really committed himself to getting his weight at the range that he needed to get it to.” Callahan went on to say that Latham “looks great, he’s in great shape, he’s moving really well.”
  • Lastly, one could have assumed as much, but new Titans quarterback Cam Ward confirmed earlier reports from Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports that he advocated for the team to sign his favorite target with the Hurricanes, Xavier Restrepo, after he fell out of the draft. In the video provided by AtoZ Sports Nashville, Ward claims to have advocated for Restrepo to every team that talked to him throughout the draft process.

Titans Sign No. 1 Overall Pick Cam Ward

MAY 23: Ward’s rookie deal with the Titans includes a $32.159MM signing bonus, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Training camp roster bonuses have also become a common way to accelerate the payment schedule of rookie contracts, and Ward’s is no different. He will receive $2.054MM in 2026, $4.159MM in 2027, and $6.264MM in 2028 via training camp roster bonuses, all fully-guaranteed.

MAY 21: The rookie-scale system’s latest top contract, Cam Ward has put pen to paper with the Titans. The No. 1 overall pick is now signed through 2028, as the team announced the signing.

Ward’s rookie deal is worth $48.75MM. The pact is fully guaranteed and will include a fifth-year option for the 2029 season. Ward is currently splitting reps with the QB he is almost certain to supplant as Tennessee’s starter (Will Levis), but the Titans’ Week 1 Denver trip will presumably see the prized rookie at the controls.

Owners made it a point to curb excessive first-round salaries in the 2011 CBA. To illustrate how far ahead the quarterbacks chosen first overall under the pre-rookie-scale system were, Sam Bradford‘s rookie contract checked in at five years and $78MM in 2010. That contract was not fully guaranteed, but it still locked in Bradford to $50MM at signing. With the rookie scale in place in 2011, however, Cam Newton‘s draft slot commanded a four-year, $22MM accord. While Newton landed a lucrative Panthers extension later on, he trailed Bradford, Matthew Stafford and even JaMarcus Russell by a considerable margin out of the blocks.

Ward’s contract checks in much higher than Caleb Williams‘ Bears terms ($39.49MM), and this one will likely be the No. 1 draft slot’s last south of $50MM. Arch Manning (or the passer chosen first in the event the Texas prodigy stays in Austin) will be in line to clear that bar for the first time since Bradford. As for Ward, he will attempt to justify the significant leap he made during his final college season.

Famously going from zero-star recruit who began his college career at Division I-FCS Incarnate Word to a player who had distanced himself from the rest of the QBs in the 2025 class, Ward played two seasons at Washington State and finished his collegiate run at Miami. Completing 67.2% of his passes, Ward amassed over 4,300 passing yards and a 39:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those figures earned him ACC Player of the Year honors (among others), and his arm strength and playmaking ability created distance from the likes of Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders in this year’s class. The Titans met with Ward by mid-March and had settled on him early, arranging a second meeting and then rebuffing Browns and Giants attempts to trade up to No. 1.

Ward, 23 on Sunday, will continue a recent trend of QBs garnering considerable experience in college before being chosen No. 1. Williams turned 23 last season, while Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. played age-24 seasons as rookies. The extensive seasoning benefited the Commanders and Broncos, who saw their respective draft choices finish first and third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Ward started four college seasons during his three-school journey, and the Titans will attempt to recover after some early-round QB misfires.

Levis’ rough sophomore season led the Titans to the No. 1 overall draft slot, and the team needed its Ryan Tannehill reclamation project after 2015 No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota did not become a long-term franchise QB. Tennessee’s 2011 first-rounder, Jake Locker, was the team’s primary starter for just two seasons — before retiring after Year 4 — and 2006 No. 3 overall choice Vince Young‘s early-career promise fizzled. (2022 third-rounder Malik Willis is playing out his rookie deal in Green Bay, after being traded last summer.)

The Titans have not featured a true long-term QB option since Steve McNair‘s 11-season run. They will hope Ward can play well enough to secure a second contract. While the Titans did pay Tannehill after his 2019 turnaround, they have not extended a passer they have drafted since McNair.

The Most Lucrative ILB Contract In Each Franchise’s History

The 49ers have again made Fred Warner the NFL’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker. The franchise did this in 2021 as well. A team that has employed All-Pro NaVorro Bowman and Hall of Famer Patrick Willis over the past 15 years, the 49ers have spent on the high end to fortify this position. Other clubs, however, have been far more hesitant to unload significant cash to staff this job.

The $20MM-per-year linebacker club consists of only two players (Warner, Roquan Smith), but only four surpass $15MM per year presently. Last year saw the Jaguars and Jets (Foye Oluokun, C.J. Mosley) trim their priciest ILBs’ salaries in exchange for guarantees, and the Colts did not make it too far with Shaquille Leonard‘s big-ticket extension. Although some contracts handed out this offseason created optimism about this stubborn market, franchises’ pasts here do not depict a trend of paying second-level defenders.

Excluding rookie contracts and arranged by guaranteed money, here is (via OvertheCap) the richest contract each franchise has given to an off-ball ‘backer:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Milano’s first extension (in 2021) brought more in overall value and fully guaranteed money, but the 2023 pact provided more in total guarantees

Carolina Panthers

Shaq Thompson‘s 2019 extension brought a higher AAV ($13.54MM), but Kuechly’s included more in guarantees

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Dre Greenlaw‘s 2025 contract (three years, $31.5MM) brought a higher AAV but a lower guarantee

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Azeez Al-Shaair checks in atop franchise history in AAV ($11.33MM) but fell short of McKinney’s in guarantees

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Rolando McClain‘s 2010 rookie contract, agreed to in the final year before the rookie-scale system debuted, checked in higher in terms of guarantees ($22.83MM)

Los Angeles Chargers

Kenneth Murray‘s rookie contract (a fully guaranteed $12.97MM) narrowly eclipses this deal

Los Angeles Rams

Mark Barron‘s 2016 contract brought a higher AAV ($9MM) but a lower guarantee

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo; December 17, 2011: Five years, $48.5MM ($27MM guaranteed)

Robert Spillane‘s $11MM AAV leads the way at this position in New England, but the recently dismissed HC’s contract brought more guaranteed money

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Blake Martinez‘s free agency deal included a higher AAV ($10.25MM) but a lower guaranteee

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Warner secured more guaranteed money on this extension than he did on his five-year 2021 deal ($40.5MM guaranteed)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Jamin Davis‘ fully guaranteed rookie contract brought a higher guarantee ($13.79MM)

Cam Ward, Will Levis Splitting Reps At Titans Practices

The Titans are clearly committed to Cam Ward as their long-term quarterback, but head coach Brian Callahan isn’t rushing into naming his Week 1 starter. As ESPN’s Turron Davenport writes, Ward evenly split reps with Will Levis as the Titans opened Phase 2 of their offseason activities.

Callahan acknowledged that we’ll likely see a change in the snap distribution when the offense begins participating in seven-on-seven drills. At that time, the number-one overall pick will presumably find himself atop the depth chart, but even that major indication may not be enough for Callahan to name a definitive starter.

The coach told reporters that it’s premature to name a Week 1 starter considering all the progress that needs to be made over the next three months. Instead, Callahan made it clear that he wants his quarterbacks to simply focus on what’s ahead of them at practices vs. focusing on the season opener.

As Davenport notes, Callahan may be a bit gun-shy from last year, when the first-year head coach quickly named Levis as his starter. A midseason injury helped the Titans temporarily pivot to Mason Rudolph, but the coach understood he didn’t do anyone any favors by proclaiming Levis his QB1 before practices even started.

So, while Ward is all but guaranteed to be the starter for the 2025 campaign, Callahan won’t make any declarations before he has a full understanding of his depth. While Davenport notes that a QB competition between the number-one pick and the incumbent starter could lead to a “contentious situation,” Callahan praised both of his signal callers for their approach to early practices.

“They’ve both handled it really well,” Callahan said. “I’ve been pleased with their demeanor and approach. Will has done a really nice job getting better at the things he needs to get better at. Cam has done a really nice job of integrating himself. … They’ve both done a really nice job getting up to speed where they needed to.”