The Tennessee Titans are heading into Week 8 with some shuffling on the roster, and two practice squad elevations point directly to the holes they need to fill against the Cincinnati Bengals.
After dropping their third last-second game of the season to the Cleveland Browns at home last week, Tennessee is on the road for its final game before the bye. The Titans will be without a few offensive and special teams pieces on Sunday, so the call-ups from the practice squad were aimed at covering those absences.
Xavier Restrepo is getting his first elevation of the season, and the timing lines up with rookie wideout Carnell Tate being ruled out because of a shoulder injury. Restrepo already has chemistry with quarterback Cam Ward from their days together at the University of Miami, and he made an impact in his limited chances last season, catching three passes for 41 yards across two game-day call-ups.
The other elevation went to punter Thomas Morstead, who steps in after starter Tommy Townsend was ruled out with a left knee injury. That issue forced Joey Slye to handle punting duties in the second half of last week’s game after Townsend was hurt on a punt late in the second quarter.
Morstead joined Tennessee’s practice squad on October 28th, and he brings a built-in connection to head coach Robert Saleh. He was the San Francisco 49ers’ primary punter last season while Saleh was on staff as the defensive coordinator.
The Titans and Bengals are set for a 1 PM EST/12 PM CST kickoff Sunday at Paycor Stadium, with CBS televising the game.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Loom In The Race For A Rising 2027 Quarterback
A fresh ESPN poll of 25 NFL scouts and executives has already started to reshape the early 2027 quarterback conversation, and Oklahoma States Drew Mestemaker is now the name drawing the most support as the class leader. Just a few weeks ago, the early favorite discussion leaned more toward Dante Moore and Arch Manning, but the latest read from league evaluators suggests Mestemaker has moved into a stronger position as teams begin to map out future quarterback plans.
For the Titans, that kind of early shift matters because the draft board can change quickly, and quarterback-needy clubs are already being sorted into rough landing spots based on current roster needs and recent trades. Tennessee is the sort of team that will be watching this race closely, even if the order is far from settled, since the next year and a half of development and evaluation could still redraw the entire picture before the 2027 draft arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Trade Suddenly Raises An Uncomfortable Question About What They Gave Up
Jeffery Simmons move from Tennessee to Chicago did more than shake up the Titans roster. It also put a spotlight on how quickly the trade market can shift when a player of that caliber becomes available, especially after the Titans had initially denied they were looking to deal him. The situation has only added to the sense that this was not a straightforward transaction, but one shaped by timing, leverage and the kind of behind-the-scenes relationships that often decide where star players land.
Reports that Giants coach John Harbaugh directly reached out to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk to try to land Simmons only deepen the intrigue around what Tennessee ultimately accepted. In a league where personal connections can matter as much as draft capital, the obvious question now is whether the Titans truly got the best possible return. For a team trying to manage both its present and future, that is the uncomfortable part of the story that lingers after the deal is done. [Read more 🡒]
Calvin Ridley Just Got A Huge Titans Opportunity At A Telling Time
Jeffery Simmons being traded left the Titans thinner in a hurry heading into Week 8, and the ripple effects are already reaching beyond the defensive front. With injuries piling up and the roster needing answers in a few different places, Calvin Ridley is suddenly in line for more playing time than he has seen for much of this season, giving Tennessee a chance to see whether the veteran wideout can still be a meaningful part of the offense.
Ridleys reduced role has made his situation one of the more interesting subplots around the team as the November 10 trade deadline approaches. His future in Tennessee is no longer a given, and this stretch could serve as an audition of sorts for a player whose involvement has faded but whose name still carries value if the Titans decide to listen on him. [Read more 🡒]