The Tennessee Titans are down to the final stretch of training camp, and for a few players, the next few days could decide everything.
Tennessee finished its second preseason game on Sunday with a 19-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Nissan Stadium, moving to 2-0 in the preseason. The record looks clean enough, but the performances haven’t been. Both sides of the ball had plenty of trouble against Seattle’s backups, and now the Titans head into a joint practice and preseason game against the Chicago Bears as they prepare to trim the roster to 53 players.
That makes this week a pressure test for several players who are running out of time to separate themselves.
Restrepo, for one, is still trying to force his way into the picture at receiver. He caught two more passes against Seattle, and while the numbers haven’t jumped off the page, his development is clearly moving in the right direction.
At the moment, he doesn’t look like a lock for the roster. If Tennessee keeps six wideouts, Bryce Oliver appears set to grab that spot because of what he brings on special teams.
That leaves Restrepo with one last chance to make the Titans think hard about carrying seven receivers.
Barton is in a different fight. He’s been beaten out in camp by rookie Anthony Hill Jr. and James Williams Sr., and his hold on a starting job is suddenly shaky.
Barton has experience, and he was a serviceable piece for Tennessee last season, but Hill and Williams offer more upside next to Cedric Gray in the middle of the defense. Unless Barton puts together a strong showing against Chicago, that starting role could disappear sooner than expected.
Carmona has gone the other way. What started as a rookie competing for a role has turned into a real push to be Tennessee’s starting right guard.
The Arkansas product has improved steadily throughout camp and has looked excellent in the preseason, allowing only one pressure so far. Even so, nothing is finalized yet.
Carmona still needs a solid week against the Bears to show he can be a dependable part of Brian Daboll’s offense as a rookie.
Volson, meanwhile, is slipping. He opened camp as the favorite to win the starting right guard job, but that edge is gone now, and even his roster spot is under threat.
He was rough in the preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers, and although he was better Sunday, it still wasn’t enough to make him comfortable. Volson earned an 85.1 Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade against the Seahawks, but his pass protection was still a problem with a 45.0 grade.
If Volson doesn’t make a stronger case this week, his time in Nashville could be over. Of all the Titans facing this final push, the 28-year-old may have the most on the line.
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Bengals Camp Dating Buzz Has Fans Trying To Identify One Player
Gia Duddy, the former girlfriend of Titans quarterback Will Levis, turned a Bengals practice into a bit of offseason internet detective work after she posted from Cincinnati and showed support for a player on the field. One of the clips she shared featured Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, and that was enough to set off plenty of speculation about whether the two might be connected.
Duddy has not confirmed anything publicly, but the timing and the practice visit gave fans plenty to parse, especially after her reported split with Levis during his rookie NFL season. For Tennessee observers, it is just one more reminder that the ripple effects around a young quarterback can linger well beyond the field, even when the conversation has nothing to do with touchdowns or camp reps. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Bubble Players Suddenly Face Real Danger Before Final Cuts
Training camp has already turned into a sorting exercise for the Titans, with the front office continuing to churn the roster and add experienced depth while the coaching staff evaluates who fits and who no longer does. Recent moves have brought in veterans such as D'Ernest Johnson, Nazeeh Johnson and Mario Goodrich, a reminder that the margin for error is shrinking as the team moves closer to cutdown day.
For players on the bubble, that means every rep matters now, and a handful of names are drawing extra attention as the competition tightens. Austin Deculus, Michael Carter, Mason Kinsey, Mario Goodrich III and Hendon Hooker are among those viewed as vulnerable based on where things stand in camp, though nothing is locked in yet and the final decisions will come only after the Titans finish sorting out the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Fans Get One Last Nissan Stadium Season Between Two Eras
Nissan Stadium is living in a strange and fitting in-between moment this fall, with the Titans old flame ball logo and the newer light blue shield both showing up around the building. It is the last season in the current venue, so the setting itself has become part of the story, a place where the franchises past and present are sharing the same walls for one final run.
The building is set to be demolished after the home finale on Jan. 3, 2027, closing the book on one era before a new Nissan Stadium rises nearby the following spring. Until then, fans will keep seeing the mix of old and new across the concourses and signage, a reminder that this season is not just about what happens on the field but about the final memories being made in a stadium that has carried the Titans through so many chapters. [Read more 🡒]
