With the Titans down to the final stretch of training camp and their second preseason game set for Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Mike Borgonzi is running out of time to sort through the roster. Eight days from cut-down day, the front office has to get serious about which veterans fit the 53-man picture and which ones don’t.
A few names are suddenly in the spotlight.
Julius Chestnut looks like the odd man out at running back, at least on paper. Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, and Nick Singleton appear to have the top three spots locked down.
If Tennessee keeps four backs, Chestnut would be fighting with D'Ernest Johnson, Michael Carter, and Kalel Mullings for that last chair at the table. The one thing working in Chestnut’s favor is special teams.
He made 17 tackles there last season and added another in the preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, which only reinforces why he has a case. Under Bones Fassel, the Titans’ special teams unit has been a strength, and Chestnut’s role in that area could keep him alive.
Andre James is in a different kind of squeeze. The Titans are expected to keep trimming along the offensive line, and the group may not be strong enough to justify carrying 10 linemen.
Cordell Volson and Austin Deculus seem headed for the exit, but there’s still a battle for the ninth spot. James brings experience with OL coach Carmen Bracillo, and having two seasoned centers in front of Cam Ward would be useful.
At the same time, Pat Coogan gives the Titans another option after starting a year at left guard for Notre Dame, which means he isn’t limited to center work alone. That leaves James in a direct fight with Jackson Slater, and the decision comes down to whether Tennessee values James’ experience more than the investment it already made in Slater last season.
Khalen Saunders is the defensive lineman to watch. Tennessee has plenty of movable pieces up front - Jeffery Simmons, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, and Keldric Faulk can all line up as big defensive ends or defensive tackles depending on the look.
What the Titans do not have is a true big-bodied tackle who can clog space and still push the pocket, and Saunders has done that before. His fate may hinge on how many players with that body type the Titans want to keep.
If short-yardage defense becomes a concern when Simmons is off the field, Saunders starts looking a lot more valuable.
In Other News...
Titans Wide Receiver Overhaul Is Finally Forcing A 2026 Debate
The Titans spent the offseason reshaping their receiver room, and the effect is already showing up in how the league views the group. Tennessee added rookie Carnell Tate and veteran WanDale Robinson, giving the offense a different look around Calvin Ridley and creating a deeper, more varied mix than the team had before. ESPN analyst Mike Clay took notice when he ranked the Titans wideout group 14th in the NFL heading toward 2026, a sign that the investments have at least put this unit back into the conversation.
Carnell Tate, Ridley and Robinson project as the top three options, while Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike give the Titans more names to work with behind them. For a team trying to build a more reliable passing game, the interesting part now is not just the talent added, but how quickly the pieces fit together and whether the room can climb beyond being merely one to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Camp Dating Buzz Has Fans Trying To Identify One Player
Gia Duddys latest trip to an NFL practice sent social media into overdrive, with the former girlfriend of Titans quarterback Will Levis making a visible stop at Cincinnati Bengals camp and sharing videos that immediately caught fans attention. Duddy, who has stayed in the public eye since her split from Levis during his rookie season, posted a clip that appeared to spotlight Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, and the connection was enough to get plenty of people speculating about what, exactly, was going on.
The buzz has mostly lived in the space between a casual appearance and a possible relationship tease, and Duddy has not confirmed anything. Still, when someone with her profile shows up at practice and points her camera toward a particular player, the internet tends to do the rest, which is how a routine camp visit turned into another round of offseason gossip tied to a quarterback who remains a familiar name in Tennessee. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Bubble Players Suddenly Face Real Danger Before Final Cuts
Training camp has already started to squeeze the margins for the Titans, and the roster churn has made that obvious. Tennessee has been active in bringing in veteran help, including DErnest Johnson, Nazeeh Johnson and Mario Goodrich, a sign that the front office is still sorting out the back end of the roster while players fight to hold their spots.
That leaves several bubble names in an uneasy place heading toward cutdown day. Austin Deculus, Michael Carter, Mason Kinsey, Mario Goodrich III and Hendon Hooker are all viewed as vulnerable based on where things stand now, and the competition around them only gets tougher as camp moves along. Nothing is settled yet, but the pressure is very much on for players who can feel the numbers tightening around them. [Read more 🡒]