The Tennessee Titans’ decision to cut Cordell Volson didn’t just close the book on a short-lived experiment. It turned a questionable offseason move into a flat-out mistake.
Volson was one of the more notable names to come off the Titans’ initial 53-man roster on Sunday, and Tennessee has kept working the back end of the roster since then with five more moves. The veteran guard, signed to a one-year deal in free agency, was supposed to be in the mix for the starting right guard job. Instead, he was released less than six months after arriving.
That kind of turnaround says plenty. Mike Borgonzi took a swing on Volson as a bounce-back candidate, but the Titans moved on before the bet ever had a chance to pay off.
Volson’s contract was worth $3.2 million and included $2 million in guarantees, so Tennessee will be left with that amount in dead money. The team did clear nearly $500,000 in cap space by cutting him loose.
And when it comes to the Titans’ 2026 dead money, Volson’s $2 million charge is the sixth-largest on the team, according to Over The Cap. The five ahead of it - Lloyd Cushenbery, L'Jarius Sneed, Arden Key, L'Jarius Sneed, and Will Levis - are all mistake contracts Borgonzi inherited and wiped out from the previous regime.
Volson was Borgonzi’s own call.
The Titans’ answer at right guard ended up coming from a very different place. Rookie fifth-round pick Fernando Carmona kept climbing during training camp and the preseason, eventually winning the job and making Volson unnecessary. If Carmona delivers, he’ll erase the need Tennessee thought Volson would fill.
The backup picture also helped push Volson out. Sophomore Jackson Slater is the top reserve guard on the roster, rookie center Pat Coogan also played guard in college, and Garrett Dellinger was one of the surprises to survive the cut to 53. Those three became the Titans’ backup interior linemen.
Tennessee clearly hoped Volson would be a hidden value piece. Instead, his preseason play went in the wrong direction, and the Titans made the clean break.
Borgonzi deserves credit for moving on quickly, even if the signing now stands as a small offseason miss. If Carmona plays well, the Titans may be able to forget the Volson era altogether.
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