Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan admitted he “screwed this team” when reflecting on the 2019 season.
Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan put the team in a bad spot when he missed the first four games of the 2019 season due to a suspension for a failed test for performance-enhancing drugs, and he’d be the first to admit that to you.
Lewan announced on July 24th, 2019 that he had tested positive for a banned substance and was facing a suspension for it. He went on to take a polygraph test to try and prove he didn’t knowingly take it and passed, however that didn’t matter and he still got suspended.
Tennessee tried to fill the void with Dennis Kelly, who performed admirably but is better suited at right tackle. As a whole, the Titans’ offensive line, which was also dealing with injuries, was a disaster and was partly to blame for the struggles of Marcus Mariota and the offense.
Thankfully, the Titans were able to turn their season around after a 2-4 start and make a run all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
When reflecting on the 2019 season, Lewan admitted he “screwed this team” but went on to commend his teammates for being able to overcome it. He also expressed his love for Nashville.
Thank you to every single @Titans fan that believed in us through the year. I screwed this team being gone for 4 weeks, the team never flinched in front of adversity even when we were 2-4. I love the city of Nashville and excited about our teams future.
— Taylor Lewan (@TaylorLewan77) January 20, 2020
Thank you
Love. Dad
After a rough start following his return that was riddled with penalties, Lewan finished the season strong, as evidenced by a 1.9 percent pressure rate from Week 12 on, per Pro Football Focus.
Taylor Lewan: 1.9% pressure rate since Week 12
— PFF (@PFF) January 16, 2020
Lowest among OTs pic.twitter.com/yjob4Qmcrb
Lewan, who signed a five-year, $80 million extension in 2018, is set to make $18.2 million in 2020. It’ll be interesting to see if the Titans approach him about a restructuring of his contract in order to free up more money for the slew of important free agents this team has to sign.
Not that any player should be expected to do it given the potentially short shelf life of NFL players in general, but if “Dad” really wants to show he’s all-in with this team and is trying to do all he can to help it win a Super Bowl, he’ll at least consider it.