Titans Restructure Calvin Ridley’s Deal
MARCH 18: Ridley will be tied to a two-year, $35.25MM deal, according to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Of that total, $12.49MM is guaranteed, per OverTheCap. The former cut candidate, who thus far has been part of Ran Carthon‘s round of 2024 misses on splashy veterans, has managed to stick around. He will be set to complement Robinson in Brian Daboll‘s offense. Ridley will be attached to a $15.2MM cap figure this year and $29.75MM number in 2027.
MARCH 14: When the Titans’ offseason began in early January, it looked like a question of when – not if – they would release wide receiver Calvin Ridley. That is no longer the case. After agreeing to restructure his contract, Ridley will remain in Tennessee next season, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
The 31-year-old Ridley was due a $2MM roster bonus by 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, per Pelissero. The sides were able to work something out before the deadline. Ridley will stick around a Tennessee receiving corps that will also include the newly acquired Wan’Dale Robinson, one of several big-ticket free agent pickups for the club. The Titans added the ex-Giants slot target on a four-year, $70MM pact this week.
Ridley, a former Falcon and Jaguar, joined the Titans on a four-year, $92MM agreement with $50MM in guarantees in March 2024. Although Ridley missed all of 2022 as a result of a gambling suspension, he earned his massive contract after a 76-catch, 1,016-yard, eight-touchdown rebound in 2023.
Ridley was productive again in his first season with the Titans. On a team that did not have any other 500-yard receivers, Ridley finished with 1,017 on 64 grabs. He also added four scores. Tennessee likely expected a similar performance from Ridley last season, but he did not provide much help for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Ridley caught just 17 of 36 targets for 303 yards and no TDs over seven games. His season ended when he broke his fibula in a Week 11 loss to the Texans.
Ridley worked with two different play callers, former head coach Brian Callahan and ex-QBs coach Bo Hardegree, in 2025. The Titans are now led by new head coach Robert Saleh, who hired the established Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator. Daboll will attempt to guide Ridley to a bounce-back campaign next season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/17/26
Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL…
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Reddy Steward
- Signed RFA tender: G T.J. Bass
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed RFA tender: DT Thomas Booker
New Orleans Saints
- Suspended: CB Beanie Bishop
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: LB Chazz Surratt
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: RB Julius Chestnut
- Signed: OL Austin Deculus
Since signing with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Bass has started in just 10 of 48 games. Nevertheless, the Cowboys placed a second-round tender on Bass on March 7. The Cowboys would have received a second-rounder had they passed on matching an offer sheet, but nobody presented one to Bass over the past week and a half. The 26-year-old signed his tender with Dallas on Tuesday and will collect a substantial raise as a result. After earning a base salary of $1.03MM in 2025, Bass will rake in $5.75MM next season. As Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com notes, Bass could be a candidate to start at left guard if Tyler Smith moves to left tackle.
The league has issued a three-game suspension to Bishop for violating its substances of abuse policy, according to Mike Tripplett of NewOrleans.Football. As an undrafted rookie with the Steelers in 2024, Bishop surprisingly picked off four passes in 17 games. But Bishop did not survive the Steelers’ final cuts last August, and though he returned to their practice squad, they waived the 5-foot-9, 182-pounder in November. Bishop joined the Saints’ practice squad in December, but he did not see any action with them down the stretch. The Saints kept Bishop around after the season on a reserve/futures deal.
Deculus, whom the Texans drafted in the sixth round in 2022, has played in 26 games over his four years in the league. He notched career highs in games (13) and starts (five) during his lone season with the Chargers in 2025. Deculus stepped in for 498 tackle snaps (476 on the left side, 22 on the right) as O-line cornerstones Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt dealt with major injuries, but it did not go well. Pro Football Focus ranked Deculus’ performance last among 84 tackles. He will now compete for a spot behind Titans tackles Dan Moore Jr. and JC Latham.
AFC Contract Details: Mafe, Titans, Raiders, Dean, Bills, Texans, Jets, Pats, Steelers, Jags, Ravens
With the first wave of free agency in the rearview mirror, it is time to take stock of the full numbers given to some of this year’s top targets. Here are the details on some of the top contracts awarded by AFC teams:
- Boye Mafe, DE (Bengals). Three years, $60MM. The Bengals gave Mafe $19MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Seahawk is projected to land $43.3MM over the deal’s first two seasons, ESPN.com’s Ben Baby tweets. A $2MM roster bonus is due on Day 5 of the 2027 league year.
- Alontae Taylor, CB (Titans). Three years, $58MM. Taylor received $42MM guaranteed at signing, according to OverTheCap. The ex-Saints CB will receive $22MM in 2026, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.
- Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Titans). Four years, $70MM. Robinson secured $36.98MM guaranteed at signing, Breer tweets. Neither of Robinson’s 2028 or ’29 base salaries contain guarantees or guarantee mechanisms. Each year carries $2MM in incentives, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets.
- Kwity Paye, OLB (Raiders). Three years, $48MM. Paye secured $31.28MM guaranteed, per Wilson; of that total, $25.34MM is locked in at signing (according to OverTheCap). Paye landed $10MM of his $15.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing; the remainder of his ’27 salary vests on Day 4 of 2027 league year.
- Bradley Chubb, OLB (Bills). Three years, $43.5MM. Of Chubb’s previously reported $29MM guarantee, Wilson notes $21.74MM is guaranteed at signing. Chubb will see a $4MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2028 league year, per OverTheCap.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker, G (Patriots). Three years, $42MM. Vera-Tucker’s $21MM signing bonus represents his guarantees at signing, Wilson tweets, though the team has included a notable wrinkle. Vera-Tucker will earn $250K for each game he is active, with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero noting this is among the highest per-game roster bonus figures in NFL history.
- Ed Ingram, G (Texans). Three years, $37.5MM. Receiving $20MM guaranteed at signing, the former second-round pick secured $5MM of his $8.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing. The rest shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the ’27 league year, per Spotrac.
- Jamel Dean, CB (Steelers). Three years, $36.75MM. Keeping with Steelers non-QB/T.J. Watt norms, Dean’s guarantee is his signing bonus ($12MM). Dean would receive a $4MM roster bonus on Day 3 of the 2027 league year, Wilson notes.
- Nakobe Dean, LB (Raiders). Three years, $36MM. Nakobe Dean scored $20MM guaranteed at signing, according to Wilson. The former Eagles linebacker, who missed 12 games due to injury in 2023 and six in ’25, will see $8.5MM of his $11.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed. The remainder becomes guarantee on Day 3 of the ’27 league year (via Spotrac).
- Joseph Ossai, OLB (Jets). Three years, $34.5MM. Ossai will receive $22.49MM guaranteed at signing, Wilson tweets. Ossai’s 2026 and ’27 base salaries are fully guaranteed.
- Montaric Brown, CB (Jaguars). Three years, $31.8MM. Brown landed $20.65MM fully guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The former seventh-round pick secured $8.15MM of his $9.5MM 2027 salary guaranteed at signing.
- John Simpson, G (Ravens). Three years, $30MM. Simpson secured $17.5MM fully guaranteed, Wilson notes. This includes $5.5MM of an $8MM 2027 salary.
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love Visited Titans, Giants
Drafting running backs early in the first round has gone in and out of fashion over the last decade. From 2015 to 2018, six running backs were selected within the first 15 picks; since then, only three have been taken that high, all in the last three drafts.
2026 prospect Jeremiyah Love could be the fourth with apparent interest from multiple teams with top-10 selections. He visited the Titans at the beginning of March (via NFL insider Jordan Schultz) and the Giants this past weekend (also via Schultz).
The hype train for Love took off at the Combine in Indianapolis, where his 4.36-second 40-yard dash and smooth hands and footwork in pass-catching drills attracted the attention of several teams.
“The NFL loves Jeremiyah Love,” NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe said in early March. “I spoke with execs for three different teams who said that Jeremiyah Love is the best player in this draft. The Notre Dame running back should go in the top 10, and the word I’m hearing, don’t be surprised if he goes in the top five.”
Selecting a running back with such a high pick will no doubt draw criticism based on positional value. Running backs earn significantly less than other positions like wide receiver and edge rusher that have a more direct impact on the passing game. Ashton Jeanty, taken with the No. 6 pick last year, immediately became the NFL’s 12th-most expensive running back, per OverTheCap, greatly reducing the financial advantage offered by rookie contracts.
Taking Love in the top 10 would result in a similar inefficiency. A top-five selection would result in the most guaranteed money ever for a running back being handed to a rookie before he plays a single down in the pros.
However, as Wolfe notes, the 2026 draft class is viewed as thin on truly elite prospects. Love is one of the few, so rather than pursue a less talented player at a more valuable position, teams could opt to land a potential game-changing running back with the hopes that he can have a similar impact as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs have in Atlanta and Detroit, respectively.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/26
Today’s minor moves:
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: LB Segun Olubi
New England Patriots
- Signed: LS Niko Lalos
Tennessee Titans
- Signed ERFA tender: WR Bryce Oliver
Titans To Release CB L’Jarius Sneed
The Titans are releasing L’Jarius Sneed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, making him a late addition to the cornerback market in free agency.
Sneed, 29, arrived in Tennessee in a tag-and-trade deal with the Chiefs during the 2024 offseason. The Titans sent a third-round pick to Kansas City and handed the veteran corner a four-year, $76.4MM contract with $44MM guaranteed.
He only played 12 games on that deal due to quad injuries in both 2024 and 2025. When healthy, Sneed’s performance dipped notably with career-worst marks in several categories, including his ball production, tackling, and yards per target allowed. His grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) plummeted relative to his time in Kansas City, too.
The Titans certainly hoped to get more out of Sneed, especially since the third-round pick they sent to Kansas City turned out to be the second in the round. Instead, they will release him with two years remaining on his contract to save $11.4MM against the 2026 salary cap, per OverTheCap. The remaining prorations of Sneed’s signing bonus will leave an $8.1MM dead cap hit.
Tennessee used several different cornerbacks in the last two years and seem to be rebuilding the unit entirely under new head coach Robert Saleh. He declined to retain Darrell Baker, who led the corner room in snaps in 2025, and instead signed Cordale Flott, Alontae Taylor, and Joshua Williams, all young potential starters that will give the Titans plenty of options in their secondary.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/26
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: CB Starling Thomas
- Signed: DE Jonah Williams
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: S Elijah Hicks, G Jordan McFadden
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Matt Hennessy
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: WR Tom Kennedy, LB Trevor Nowaske
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Dareke Young
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Grant Stuard
New York Jets
- Re-signed: OL Xavier Newman-Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: FB Brady Russell
- Released: CB Tyler Hall
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Miles Killebrew
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: S Jerrick Reed
Titans To Sign TE Kylen Granson
Following a disappointing one-year stint in Philly, Kylen Granson is heading to Tennessee. The tight end is signing a one-year deal with the Titans, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The 2021 fourth-round pick showed some flashes throughout his rookie contract in Indy. He only missed six games during his four years with the Colts, hauling in 86 catches. He had his best showing between 2022 and 2023, when he hauled in 61 total catches for 670 yards and one touchdown.
Granson saw his targets drop in 2024 before hitting free agency. He caught on with the Eagles but served as the team’s third tight end behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra. He finished the campaign with a career-low seven catches for 40 yards. While his offensive numbers suffered, Pro Football Focus was still pretty fond of his pass-blocking ability in 2025.
Now, he’ll look to revive his career in Tennessee. The Titans will see some significant change to their TEs room in 2026, as starter Chigoziem Okonkwo left via free agency for the Commanders. The team has since added Daniel Bellinger to a grouping that includes holdover Gunnar Helm.
Titans To Sign S Tony Adams
Titans head coach Robert Saleh is reuniting with another former Jet. Safety Tony Adams has agreed to a one-year contract with Tennessee, Rich Cimini of ESPN reports. Saleh previously added ex-Jets John Franklin-Myers, Jermaine Johnson, Solomon Thomas and Jacob Martin to a remade Titans defense.
Entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Adams has played a large portion of his career under Saleh, the Jets’ former head coach. Saleh was at the helm until the team fired him in October 2024. Adams was a regular in Saleh’s defense for over a year.
After logging a meager 10.37% defensive snap share as a rookie, Adams worked as a full-time starter in his second season. The Illinois product tallied 82 tackles (six TFL), five passes defensed and a career-best three interceptions in 15 games.
Adams remained a starter in Saleh’s defense early in 2024. However, after Saleh’s ouster, Adams was the only player interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich benched during his 12 games in charge. The decision reportedly came at the behest of owner Woody Johnson. In any case, Adams finished the year with a personal-best 84 tackles, six passes defensed and a pick in 15 games and 11 starts.
With Aaron Glenn replacing Ulbrich in 2025, Adams started in nine of 12 games. The 27-year-old notched 49 tackles and five PDs on a defense that failed to intercept a pass all season. Adams’ year ended when a groin injury forced him to IR on Dec. 18. Pro Football Focus ranked Adams’ play a below-average 50th among 88 qualifying safeties. PFF placed him in a similar range during the previous two years.
In his second NFL stop, Adams will join Amani Hooker and Kevin Winston as the Titans’ top safeties. Xavier Woods was a starting safety on last year’s team, but with Saleh coming in, the Titans released him last month.
Titans To Sign DE Jacob Martin
While Will McDonald and Bryce Huff will not be part of Robert Saleh‘s first Titans defensive line — at least, they’re not involved presently — we now have a fourth ex-Saleh-era Jet D-lineman bound for Tennessee.
Jacob Martin is signing a two-year Titans deal, NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweets. He follows Jermaine Johnson, John Franklin-Myers and Solomon Thomas as former Saleh Jets D-linemen reuniting in Nashville. Martin is reuniting with Saleh on a two-year deal worth up to $11MM.
Johnson, Martin, Thomas and Franklin-Myers were all teammates on the 2022 Jets. Martin was a short-lived Jet, to be fair, with the team sending the eight-game contributor to the Broncos at the 2022 deadline — as Denver needed EDGE depth following its Bradley Chubb trade. Martin spent last season with the Commanders, with whom he enjoyed a career-best season.
Martin, 30, registered 5.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits during his lone Washington campaign. A Commanders team that underinvested at edge rusher used Martin as a 14-game starter, playing him in front of all-time great Von Miller (though, Miller led the team with nine sacks). Washington has since made big moves to bolster its front, signing Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson. Miller remains a free agent, while Martin will see a nice contract bump after playing last season for $2.59MM.
The Titans began this reunion committee of sorts by hiring Aaron Whitecotton as D-line coach. They they traded T’Vondre Sweat for Johnson, deeming the latter a better fit for Saleh’s 4-3 scheme. Franklin-Myers signed a three-year, $63MM deal; the Jets had traded the interior D-lineman during the 2024 draft, but he played a lead role for the team during Saleh’s first three seasons. Tennessee then added Thomas in a low-level pick-swap trade — the Cowboys gave up the nine-year veteran to move up just seven spots in the draft — before this Martin agreement came to pass.
While it is safe to assume Jeffery Simmons may be left out of some inside jokes in the near future, the All-Pro D-tackle will still be anchoring the Titans’ D-line. Though, the Martin addition does make it possible — with both he and Johnson DEs and Thomas and Franklin-Myers DTs — to roll out a Jets alumni foursome in certain packages.
A ninth-year vet, Martin has been a solid rotational option in his career. He has been traded twice, being part of the 2019 Jadeveon Clowney-to-Seattle swap before his Denver trek, and started 29 games. He has 26.5 career sacks, and the 18 QB hits with Washington were 10 more than the former Seattle sixth-rounder had ever compiled in a season. The Titans will be the Colorado native’s eighth NFL team.