The Titans are expected to hand a Week 1 starting job to rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. after Cedric Gray was ruled out by the concussion protocol, setting up a notable change in the middle of Tennessee’s defense for Sunday’s opener against the Jets.
Gray’s absence comes after he was involved in a UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) accident, and ESPN’s Turron Davenport reported there was no alcohol or reckless driving involved. There had been some hope Gray could work his way through protocol in time to play, but three straight days of DNPs on Tennessee’s injury report have all but locked in his status as inactive.
That’s a significant break for New York, especially with the Jets’ run game in focus. Gray was the NFL’s fourth-leading tackler in 2025 with 164 total tackles, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the league’s second-best run defender at 92.7. With him out, the expectation is that Breece Hall will see a heavy workload behind New York’s offensive line.
Hill, the Titans’ second-round pick out of Texas, now gets thrown into the fire earlier than expected. The plan was for him to ease into the NFL game, but injuries have pushed him into the lineup right away. He didn’t sound rattled when asked about the chance.
"It should be fun," Hill said via team reporter Jim Wyatt."Just getting out there, getting my first experience... Just about executing and doing your job, and I'm sure I'll be fine."
The 21-year-old has had help along the way, too. Titans head coach Robert Saleh said Friday that Hill has learned plenty from veteran linebacker Cody Barton and reaffirmed his confidence in Tennessee’s linebacking group.
For New York, the matchup presents a chance to come out aggressive on the ground and make an early statement in Week 1.
In Other News...
Jets Fans Turned This Win Into A Robert Saleh Referendum
The Jets opened the season with a convincing 23-10 win over Tennessee, and the game quickly turned into something bigger than a routine Week 1 result. New Yorks defense kept the Titans under 200 yards of total offense, while Geno Smith was efficient throughout, finishing 19 of 24 for 215 yards and helping the Jets control the day in a way that had the home crowd buzzing.
What made the afternoon stand out even more was the reaction from the stands, where Jets fans voiced their support for former coach Aaron Glenn while also keeping the focus on the man now on the other sideline. Robert Saleh, fired by the Jets in October 2024, remains a sore spot for plenty of fans, and this win only sharpened that feeling as the postgame mood turned into something of a referendum on his tenure. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Win Still Left Fans With One Big Worry Before Packers
The Jets opened the season with a 23-10 win over the Titans, and there was enough encouraging early work to make the result feel solid even if it was not especially polished. Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper helped set the tone right away, while the defense and special teams did enough to keep Tennessee from ever making it feel like a real threat.
Still, the win came with a few issues that could linger into the Packers matchup. Injuries to Omar Cooper Jr., Minkah Fitzpatrick and Jarvis Brownlee were all part of the afternoon, and Jason Sanders, elevated from the practice squad, went 3-for-4 on field goals after missing from 54 yards. The Jets got the result they needed, but the health and kicking questions are not the kind of loose ends a team wants hanging around this early. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Already Have One Uncomfortable Question About Aaron Glenns Kicker
The Jets went into Week 1 with Jason Sanders holding the kicking job, even after a shaky preseason and a competition with Blake Grupe that suggested the position was anything but settled. New York had already shown it was willing to keep the door open on alternatives, including a workout with Justin Tucker, which made Sanders margin for error feel slim from the start.
Sanders then missed a critical fourth-and-8 field goal attempt that would have extended the Jets lead, a miss that only sharpened the uncertainty around his standing. For Aaron Glenn and the Jets, the bigger issue now is less about what happened on one kick and more about whether they can afford to keep waiting for the answer at a position that can swing games fast. [Read more 🡒]