The Colts are looking for a lighter load for Jonathan Taylor, and running backs coach DeAndre Smith made it clear the team is thinking about the long haul.
“We definitely need to find ways to take some of that workload off him,” Smith said, via ESPN. “If I can find another guy or two that can take some of those carries off, he’s just going to be that much better.
So, it’s definitely been a constant conversation. I’m aware of it.
When he’s healthy, we’ve got a chance to win every game. So, that’s always the first thing I think about: making sure he’s available every week.”
In Houston, Jamal Hill is trying to carve out a bigger role in a crowded linebacker room, and DeMeco Ryans likes what he’s seeing so far. Ryans said the group is “a really competitive group, probably the most competitive it’s been in a while,” and pointed to the number of young players in the mix.
He also singled out Hill’s special teams work from last season, including a kickoff play against the Cardinals when Hill “puts his hat on the football” and helped force a turnover. Ryans said he wants Hill to keep growing beyond special teams and become a player who can handle “true, first, second, third, down for us.”
He added, “He’s growing. He’s gotten better.
Being a safety who’s converted to the linebacker position, he’s done a really good job of that.”
Tennessee has its own contract watch brewing with Peter Skoronski. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN ranked the league’s top interior linemen, and one NFC executive didn’t hold back on the Titans guard: “He’s absolutely jumped to elite status. He’s going to get paid a lot more money than people think.”
Skoronski is heading into the final year of his rookie deal before his fifth-year option kicks in in 2027, and ESPN’s Turron Davenport reports that the Titans want to get an extension done with him.
Fowler’s rankings also put Jeffery Simmons at No. 2 among defensive tackles, and the praise came with plenty of force. A veteran NFL defensive coach said, “His tape was phenomenal,” and added, “And it’s even more impressive doing it on a three-win team and getting little help around him. His strength is elite, and now that he’s realizing his pass-rush potential, he should continue to play really well.”
In Other News...
Titans Just Missed A Proven Answer To Their Biggest Line Worry
The Titans center situation took another turn after Lloyd Cushenberry was released following a failed physical, leaving the team to pivot to Austin Schlottmann and keep sorting through the middle of the line. Andre James is also in the mix, but the reshuffle only underscores how much uncertainty Tennessee is carrying at a spot that has to be stable for any offense to function.
One possible answer was sitting out there in Ethan Pocic, a veteran with experience and a recent return to football activity after getting medical clearance. Tennessee chose not to pursue him, and now the question is whether the Titans can settle the position with the options already on hand or whether another move is still coming as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Final Roster Battle Just Got More Brutal Than Expected
The Titans are heading into the kind of late-August crunch that turns every practice rep and preseason snap into a referendum on the roster. After the final preseason game, Tennessee has to trim roughly 40 players to get to its Week 1 group, and the focus has shifted to a handful of bubble cases where special teams value, positional depth and recent play could all carry extra weight.
Among the names worth watching are Julius Chestnut, Xavier Restrepo, Jackie Marshall, James Williams Sr. and Keydrain Calligan, each with a different path and a different obstacle in front of him. Some are fighting the numbers at crowded spots, some are trying to prove they can help beyond their primary role, and some have used the summer to force the staff to think harder than expected before the cuts come down. [Read more 🡒]
Robert Saleh Just Sent A Message Titans Players Will Love
Robert Saleh has not coached a snap for the Titans yet, but one of the first glimpses of his approach in Tennessee already lines up with the kind of player-friendly reputation that followed him out of New York. Set to begin his first season as head coach in 2026, Saleh recently talked on a podcast about how he and his staff handle the locker room, and the message was simple: the room belongs to the players.
For Titans veterans, that kind of boundary can matter. Saleh said his staff stays out unless things get out of hand, leaving the day-to-day tone to the team itself and trusting leaders to keep the space in order. It is the sort of detail that can help build buy-in before training camp even opens, and it gives Tennessee another reason to believe the new regime will lean on trust and chemistry as much as scheme. [Read more 🡒]