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Tennessee Titans News & Rumors

Titans Signing OLB Jihad Ward

July 24th, 2025 at 9:12am CST by Ely Allen

July 24: The Titans waived defensive tackle Keondre Coburn in a corresponding move, according to Paul Kuharsky. Head coach Brian Callahan indicated (via Main Street Media’s Terry McCormick) that he wants to give the team’s younger defensive linemen more reps in training camp.

July 23: A day after watching their free agent pass rushing addition Lorenzo Carter announce his retirement, the Titans have moved on a body to replace him. According to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, Tennessee is signing veteran outside linebacker Jihad Ward.

The Titans had been hoping that Carter’s veteran starting experience would help improve a defensive unit that tied for third-worst in the NFL in team sacks in 2024 with only 32. Losing leading sack-getter Harold Landry this offseason — they released him when they were unable to find a suitable trade partner for him — didn’t help much in that regard, and Carter bowing out before training camp even started made the team’s job of improving that much more difficult.

Ward’s never exactly been a world-beater, but his recent production is not all that far off from Carter’s. Both are on the larger size for defensive ends, as well, so Ward is a curiously fitting replacement for Carter coming in. Where Ward brings a bit more potential, though, is his ability to learn new systems. Whereas Carter had only played for two teams before signing with Tennessee, the Titans will be Ward’s eighth franchise, and he’ll just need a stint in Houston now to check the entire AFC South off his list.

A second-round pick in 2016, Ward never quite lived up to his draft stock. The 13 games he started in his rookie campaign were the most in any season of his career, and they didn’t result in a single sack. After a left foot injury held him out of 10 contests in his second season, the Raiders traded Ward to Dallas, but the team waived him in final roster cuts. He landed on the Colts’ practice squad but was signed to the active roster a little over a week later. In six games of play, Ward recorded three sacks, but an ankle injury ended his season early once again. Indianapolis re-signed him based on the potential he showed but ended up releasing him four games into the following season.

Over the next three seasons, Ward spent time coming off the bench for the Ravens and Jaguars, but in 2022, Ward signed with the Giants and earned a starting role on the defense. In two seasons with New York, Ward started 20 of 34 contests recording eight sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 22 quarterback hits. He spent last season with the Vikings. Ward only made two starts while appearing in every game, and though he only recorded one sack, he was constantly getting to the passer with a career-high 14 quarterback hits.

The starters for Tennessee will still be Arden Key and Dre’Mont Jones, and the team will still mainly be relying on Key, Jones, and Jeffery Simmons for their sack numbers, but Ward acts as a decent depth piece to a defense that needs it. At worst, he’s a pretty perfect plug and play in lieu of Carter.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/25

July 23rd, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Ely Allen

With several training camps underway, here are today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravend

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): DE K.J. Henry

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Houston fans may be discouraged to see a few big names on injured lists, but all is not lost. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mixon’s “medical outlook is positive” as the team plans to gradually increase his activity throughout camp. Likewise, Autry is expected to ease his way back into camp workouts, as well. Pierce, on the other hand, is expected to be ready to come off the list at the start of camp.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, Cosmi likely won’t see much time on the field in camp, but he appears to be hitting all the mile markers en route to being healthy for the start of the regular season. With McLaurin officially beginning his holdout yesterday, the team has made the corresponding roster move. McLaurin will rack up fines of $50K per each day missed, but if the team can come to terms on an extension, they can make sure those fines are nullified.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/25

July 22nd, 2025 at 8:42pm CST by Ben Levine

With training camps kicking off around the NFL, teams continue to make adjustments to their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Waived: DT Dante Barnett
  • Placed on active/NFI: RB Zack Moss

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: K Mark McNamee

Houston Texans

  • Waived: CB Keydrain Calligan

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Waived: OT Savion Washington

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Waived: OT Obinna Eze

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Titans EDGE Lorenzo Carter Plans To Retire

July 22nd, 2025 at 8:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Despite joining the Titans earlier this offseason, Lorenzo Carter won’t be suiting up for his new squad. The veteran edge rusher informed the Titans that he plans to retire, according to Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. Carter will land on the reserve/retired list.

“He notified us yesterday that he will be retiring,” Titans GM Mike Borgonzi told reporters (via Wyatt), “so we wish him well.”

The former third-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Giants. He dealt with injuries throughout his stint in New York, but he still managed to collect 14.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss in 49 games (33 starts). He caught on with the Falcons ahead of the 2022 season and generally stayed healthy in three seasons with the organization. He finished his time in Atlanta with seven sacks in 47 games, although he got shutout in that statistical category during the 2024 season.

Carter will finish his career having tallied 278 tackles, 21.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles. He got into 96 games across seven NFL seasons.

The 29-year-old joined the Titans earlier this offseason and was expected to provide some veteran experience on the edge for the rebuilding squad. The team lost Harold Landry in free agency this offseason but will still return the likes of Arden Key and Jaylen Harrell. The Titans also brought in Dre’Mont Jones via free agency while selecting Oluwafemi Oladejo in the second round of the draft.

Titans QB Will Levis To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

July 21st, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

Will Levis‘ 2025 campaign has ended before it began. The third-year Titans quarterback is set to undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The procedure is scheduled for July 29. Levis has elected to prioritize his long-term health by going under the knife in anticipation of the 2026 campaign. Today’s news ends the possibility of any competition between Levis and No. 1 pick Cam Ward for the starting gig during training camp.

“After consulting with doctors and his representatives, Will Levis has decided to undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline him for the entire 2025 season,” a team statement reads. “We support his decision to focus on his long-term health. He approached the offseason with professionalism and showed clear growth as a leader. We remain confident in his full recovery.”

Levis took over starting duties from Ryan Tannehill during his rookie season, logging nine appearances. He largely remained atop the depth chart for 2024, the first year with new head coach Brian Callahan in place. Things did not go according to plan for Levis, who struggled with poor play and injury during the campaign. Once the Titans secured the No. 1 pick, the possibility remained that a new quarterback starter would be targeted (especially given Mason Rudolph‘s free agent departure).

Indeed, Ward’s showings in the pre-draft process confirmed his status as Tennessee’s preferred option at the top of the board. He and Levis shared first-team reps during the spring, and a similar arrangement may have been in store for training camp. Despite participating in OTAs and minicamp, however, Levis will miss the coming campaign in its entirety.

The former second-round pick will have one year remaining on his rookie deal once the 2026 season begins. That year will obviously be key for Levis, who was linked to trade rumors this offseason. The Titans have insisted no efforts were made to move on from the 26-year-old, and given today’s news there will obviously be no market in his case at least until he returns to full health. Ward will now enter camp even more assured of the starting gig than he already was.

Behind him on the depth chart are veterans Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle. Those two were in position to compete for the third-string role during camp, with the runner-up being a release candidate during roster cutdowns. Instead, Allen and Boyle could be in position to remain in place unless a new signal-caller is brought in during the summer.

Tennessee’s success in 2025 was already going to depend in large part on Ward’s development as a rookie. That is especially the case now that Levis will not be available as a backup option. As the Kentucky product’s attention shifts to recovery, it will be interesting to see if the team pursues a depth addition for at least the summer.

Titans Complete Draft Pick Signings With Second-Round OLB Oluwafemi Oladejo

July 21st, 2025 at 7:43pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Titans have reached an agreement with second-round pick Oluwafemi Oladejo, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, completing their 2025 draft class signings.

Oladejo’s deal is worth $8.415MM over four years, the first three of which are fully guaranteed along with a $2.76MM signing bonus. That represents a massive jump from last year’s No. 52 pick, Adonai Mitchell, who only received guarantees on 47.7% (700k) of his Year 3 salary, per OverTheCap. Oladejo received 52.3% more guaranteed salary in Year 3, which will push him well above Mitchell’s overall guarantees worth 65% of his rookie deal.

Though Oladejo’s contract is significantly stronger than past players in the same draft slot, it is somewhat weak compared to the rest of the 2025 second-round pick market. 85% of No. 54 pick Anthony Belton‘s Year 3 salary was fully guaranteed by the Packers, per OverTheCap; a few days later, No. 53 pick Benjamin Morrison reached 96% on his Year 3 guarantees in his deal with the Buccaneers. Initial reports of Oladejo’s contract did not mention any guarantees past the third year, so a mere 4% increase over Morrison in Year 3 guarantees seems disappointing after Morrison received 11% more than Belton in the same category.

Regardless, Oladejo’s rookie contract completes an impressive year for the 21-year-old. After spending his first three college seasons – two at Cal and one at UCLA – as an off-ball linebacker, he moved to the edge in 2024 and finished the season with 4.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss. Oladejo surged up big boards throughout the draft process and was consistently pegged as a Day 2 pick before the draft. He will now have an opportunity to compete for a starting role in a Titans defense that lost Harold Landry this offseason and did little to replace him in free agency. Seven-year veteran Arden Key will likely be one of Tennessee’s starting edge defenders, and Oladejo should push Lorenzo Carter to be the other.

Oladejo was the final Titans draft pick to sign his rookie deal;

Titans Sign RB Jordan Mims, Waive RB Tyrion Davis-Price

July 17th, 2025 at 3:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:20pm: The Mims signing is now official. In a corresponding move, Davis-Price was waived, meaning he will not take part in the looming training camp competition. Provided Davis-Price clears waivers, he will be free to sign with a new team.

10:34am: Jordan Mims has landed a deal in time for training camp. The third-year running back has agreed to a pact with the Titans, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports.

This will be a two-year contract, Schultz adds. Mims entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Bills, but he was among the team’s 2023 roster cuts. Immediately after being released, Mims landed on the Saints’ practice squad and he remained in the organization through the end of the past campaign.

As a rookie, the 26-year-old made a pair of appearances but played only on special teams. Mims’ first offensive touches came about in 2024, and he logged 105 snaps across 11 contests. 20 carries and 12 receptions did not produce any touchdowns, but Mims notched 141 scrimmage yards along the way.

That production helped land Mims a workout with the Browns in June, but no deal materialized. The Fresno State product will instead spend the summer in Tennessee looking to carve out a spot in the backfield. The Titans entered Thursday with more than $30MM in cap space, so this contract will not alter any other free agent plans which are in place.

Tony Pollard recorded his third consecutive 1,000-yard campaign in 2024, and he remains in position to lead the way at the running back spot for Tennessee this season. Tyjae Spears will again operate as a pass-catching backup, while three others backs (Kalel Mullings, Julius Chestnut and Tyrion Davis-Price) are set to compete for a roster spot during training camp. Mims will join that group when players report on July 22.

33 Unsigned 2025 Draft Picks Remain

July 9th, 2025 at 9:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL has hit a logjam and is collectively lagging far behind where it normally is at this point in the offseason. Two years ago, the league hit its last 30 unsigned players before July. Last year, teams were signing rookies as quickly as they were drafting them, and only 10 players remained unsigned by June 17. A couple intriguing situations have caused pens to go quiet in 2025, and as a result, here are the 33 remaining unsigned rookies of the 2025 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 4:

  • No. 107 (Jaguars): Jack Kiser (LB, Notre Dame)

In recent years, a trend has seen second-rounders lasting the longest, but what we’re seeing this year is unheard of. As rookies have been getting a bit of flexibility in negotiating structures of guarantees, getting deals done has become a waiting game of seeing what surrounding picks are getting for comparison. Last year, teams breezed through the issue, but 2025 has seen significantly increased troubles.

Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins set the tone by signing a fully guaranteed rookie contract, the first ever for a second-round selection. The next day, the Browns were essentially forced to do the same for Carson Schwesinger, picked one slot before Higgins. Shough, the Saints rookie quarterback, is seeking the same deal, hoping that his elevated status as a passer will help convince New Orleans to continue making history. Shough’s efforts have caused every pick between him and Higgins to stand pat, waiting to see if they get to ask for full guarantees from their teams, as well. This would be a drastic development, as last year’s 40th overall pick, Cooper DeJean, received only two fully guaranteed years with only partial guarantees in Year 3.

The biggest story outside of the second round is that of the standoff between Stewart and the Bengals. Stewart has issues with what he perceives as a lack of protection in Cincinnati’s offer that causes a contract default in any year to void any guarantees in all the following years. It’s a new precedent the team is trying to set, and Stewart seems intent on preventing them from doing so.

It will be interesting to see which standoff gets settled first: Stewart’s or Shough’s. The latter standoff ending would likely set off a domino reaction of second-round deals that would help a large number of teams close out their rookie classes. To this point, only four NFL teams have done so.

Latest On Titans’ QB Situation

July 7th, 2025 at 5:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Cam Ward has not officially won the Titans’ starting quarterback gig yet, but it remains the expectation that will be the case this summer. Beyond this year’s No. 1 pick, Tennessee has a number of interesting decisions to make.

Returnee Will Levis saw some time with the first-team offense during spring practices, and he is thus a candidate to win the starting gig at training camp. More realistically, though, the former second-rounder is in line to begin the campaign as Tennessee’s backup. Trade rumors have swirled in Levis’ case, but new general manager Mike Borgonzi has insisted no efforts were made before or during the draft to move him.

Team reporter Jim Wyatt notes Levis can be penciled into the QB2 spot (pending a summer push on the part of an interested team to work out a trade). That would leave Ward in place to operate as Tennessee’s starter, with his development playing a central role in the team’s 2025 success. The Titans have two other passers in place entering training camp in the form of Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle.

Allen has familiarity with head coach Brian Callahan given their time spent together in Cincinnati. The 32-year-old has only made 18 appearances (and 10 starts) during his career, so he profiles as a No. 3 option at best. Wyatt notes Allen received more reps during the spring than Boyle, pointing to him having an advantage for the third-string gig. Presuming Boyle finishes the summer fourth on the depth chart, he will be a prime candidate to find himself amongst the team’s roster cuts.

Plenty of time remains for the pecking order at the quarterback spot to change, of course. How the four signal-callers fare during padded practices will make for one of the Titans’ top summer storylines. As things stand now, though, few surprises (if any) with respect to the depth chart should be expected.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 5th, 2025 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL’s 2025 HC carousel brought five new sideline leaders; this year’s GM market eventually featured four new hires. Two teams made quick-trigger decisions involving front office bosses this offseason.

Not long after the Raiders fired Antonio Pierce, they booted Tom Telesco — brought in to give the inexperienced HC a seasoned GM — after just one season. New minority owner Tom Brady, who certainly appears to have downplayed his Raiders role in a recent interview, wanted a fresh start. That meant firing Telesco despite the GM’s Brock Bowers draft choice last year. John Spytek, an ex-Brady Michigan teammate who was with the Buccaneers when the team signed the QB icon, replaced him. Formerly the Chargers’ front office boss, Telesco had entered every season in a GM chair since 2013.

Ran Carthon received two years in charge in Tennessee, but owner Amy Adams Strunk — a year after the surprise Mike Vrabel firing — moved on and arranged an interesting power structure this offseason. The Titans installed Chad Brinker, who had been one of Carthon’s two assistant GMs, as president of football operations. The ex-Carthon lieutenant holds final say over new hire Mike Borgonzi, who did run the Titans’ draft this year. Borgonzi, who interviewed for the Jets’ GM job as well, comes over after a lengthy Chiefs tenure.

The in-season Joe Douglas firing brought a Jets GM change for the first time in six years. As Woody Johnson overreach became a regular talking point in New York, the Jets started over with Darren Mougey. Johnson changed up his workflow upon hiring Mougey, however. Rather than the GM directly reporting to the owner (as Douglas had), both Mougey and Aaron Glenn will do so. Mougey, though, does control the roster.

Telesco’s January firing left Trent Baalke as the NFL’s lone second-chance GM. The Jaguars had kept Baalke despite firing Doug Pederson, but as the team’s coaching search brought significant concerns from candidates about the presence of the resilient GM, Shad Khan eventually made a change. This move came after top HC candidate Liam Coen initially turned down a second interview, doing so after Ben Johnson concerns about the situation circulated. Gladstone is now in place as the NFL’s youngest GM, at 34, coming over from the Rams.

This offseason also brought three GM extensions — for Jason Licht, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Omar Khan. Licht is heading into his 12th season at the helm. Adofo-Mensah joined Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell in being extended this offseason. Also a 2022 GM hire/promotion, Khan signed a Steelers extension this week.

Although Jerry Jones and Mike Brown have been in place longer, the Cowboys and Bengals’ owners hold de facto GM titles. Mickey Loomis is not only the longest-tenured pure GM in the NFL; the Saints boss trails only Hall of Famer Tex Schramm as the longest-tenured pure GM in NFL history. Hired four years before Sean Payton in New Orleans, Loomis heads into his 24th season at the controls. Loomis hired his third HC as a GM (Kellen Moore) in February.

Here is how long every GM has been in place across the NFL:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  4. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  5. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010[3]; signed extension in 2022
  6. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
  7. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2025
  8. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  9. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  10. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  11. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
  12. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2024
  13. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
  14. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  15. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020; signed extension in 2024
  16. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  17. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  18. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021; agreed to extension in 2024
  19. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  20. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  21. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  22. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  23. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022; signed extension in 2025
  24. Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
  25. Adam Peters (Washington Commanders): January 12, 2024
  26. Dan Morgan (Carolina Panthers): January 22, 2024
  27. Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers): January 29, 2024
  28. Eliot Wolf (New England Patriots): May 11, 2024
  29. Mike Borgonzi (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2025
  30. John Spytek (Las Vegas Raiders): January 22, 2025
  31. Darren Mougey (New York Jets): January 24, 2025
  32. James Gladstone (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 21, 2025

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. The Eagles bumped Roseman from the top decision-making post in 2015, giving Chip Kelly personnel power. Roseman was reinstated upon Kelly’s December 2015 firing.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018
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