The Tennessee Titans’ 53-man cutdown day came with one clear headline: the backup quarterback spot was settled, and Robert Saleh is sticking with the starter, at least for now. But the move that stands out most isn’t tied to Will Levis at all.
It’s the way the roster was built.
Tennessee’s decisions created depth in some spots while leaving real questions everywhere else, and that’s where the biggest mistake lies. The Titans kept four tight ends - Daniel Bellinger, Gunnar Helm, David Martin-Robinson and Kylen Granson - and that alone tells you how the front office chose to spend its roster space. There isn’t a premium name in that group, which is exactly why carrying four feels like a luxury the rest of the roster couldn’t afford.
Granson was the most surprising holdover. The former Colts fourth-round pick in 2021 has 20 NFL starts in five seasons, then spent 2025 with the Eagles, where he started three games and caught seven passes for 40 yards. His camp didn’t scream must-keep, either, at least by the reporting from atozsports.com.
“Granson hadn’t done much to truly stand out this summer,” Austin Stanley wrote. “But the tight end has been logging more special teams reps over the final preseason games.
And he showed his athleticism Saturday with three catches on three targets from Levis for 39 yards. Granson’s combination of receiving ability and special teams willingness makes him a strong candidate to pair with David Martin-Robinson as the second wave behind starters Gunnar Helm and Daniel Bellinger.
His maturity and consistency down the stretch of camp earned him this spot.”
The tradeoff shows up at receiver. The Titans kept five wideouts, which is normal on paper, but this group has an unusual feel to it.
Carnell Tate is listed as WR1, with Wan’Dale Robinson and Calvin Ridley behind him in the starting lineup. Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor round out the room.
The issue is whether Tate is ready to carry that role as a rookie. He didn’t do much in the preseason, but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll remains confident in him, according to ESPN.
“I have a great amount of confidence in Tate and how he goes about his business, what he does on the practice field,” Daboll said. “Look, I think everybody would love to have 15 catches.
But he's doing the right stuff. He's in a good headspace.
He's where he's supposed to be.”
Tate, for his part, is taking the long view.
“Not every day is going to be your best day and not every game is going to be your best game,” Tate said. “I'm just staying levelheaded, going out to compete each and every day.
You just got to know how to play with emotion, not let emotion play with you. That's the biggest thing.
I just stay calm. Don't get too high.
Don't get too low.”
If Tate doesn’t settle in as the top option, Tennessee may need those depth receivers more than it wants to admit. The good news for the Titans is that Dike and Ayomanor have already shown enough to belong on an NFL roster, which at least gives the team some insulation if the rookie doesn’t immediately become the guy.
Ward sounded encouraged by Tate’s approach.
“He wants the ball,” Ward said. “So when it comes his way, he's urgent to it.
He goes up and high points it. He's been great and may not have the splash plays as of late, but he's going to be a key reason why we have success on offense.
No. 14 is going to be a playmaker for sure.”
The other place Tennessee may have shortchanged itself is up front. Keeping 11 offensive linemen instead of 10 would have made sense, especially for a team that doesn’t have stars at the top end and should be leaning on depth wherever it can find it.
One of the linemen left out was tackle Cordell Volson, who missed the 2025 season with a shoulder injury. The Titans gave him $2 million guaranteed when they signed him as a free agent, according to NBC Sports.
“That was evidently a huge mistake,” Patrick Daughtery wrote. “Now 28 years old with zero appearances since the 2024 season, Volson won’t be guaranteed to get a second chance elsewhere. But it’s possible a more stable franchise figures out how to better deploy him as a reserve interior lineman.”
For now, the Titans have their roster. Whether they built it the right way is another question entirely. They’ve at least left themselves open to criticism.
In Other News...
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The Titans kept churning the bottom of the roster this week, using waiver claims to add four players while continuing to sort through the fallout from a round of cuts. It was the kind of late-summer personnel work that can reshape a depth chart in a hurry, especially for a team still trying to bolster its depth and add more versatility before the roster picture settles.
Kylen Granson, Truman Jones and Garrett Dellinger now stand out as the names most clearly in the crosshairs as Tennessee evaluates which fringe pieces fit and which ones do not. The need for a slot cornerback only adds to the pressure on those spots, and while some of the players in this mix could still surface on the practice squad, the next wave of moves figures to say plenty about how the Titans want the back end of the roster to look. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Face A Familiar Practice Squad Battle After Final Cuts
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Hendon Hooker is among the most notable names to watch, given the value of a quarterback who already has some footing in the building, while Michael Carter and Kalel Mullings sit in a running back mix that could be shaped by depth and familiarity. The same goes for a handful of wide receivers and defensive backs who may fit Tennessees needs better than a fresh outside option, but nothing has been finalized yet, which leaves the Titans in that familiar late-summer holding pattern where the next move can still change the shape of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Cut Day Left One Roster Move Fans Will Debate Most
The Titans have mostly finished shaping their 53-man roster, and the final few decisions offered a clear look at how this front office wants to balance immediate stability with long-term flexibility. Jeffery Simmons remains the centerpiece up front, while the team moved on from wide receiver Kyle Philips and added help in the secondary with Elijah Molden and Amani Hooker, moves that reflect a roster still being fine-tuned after waiver claims and cuts.
James Hudsons arrival on the offensive line is another piece worth watching, especially because of his prior work and his familiarity with the coaching staff. Even with the roster largely set, this was the kind of cut day that still left one move likely to spark the most debate among fans, because it says plenty about what Tennessee values right now and where the biggest questions around the lineup still linger. [Read more 🡒]