Tennessee Titans DE Ola Adeniyi may have played too well for watchful eye of NFL
By Will Lomas
After an incredible hot streak, Tennessee Titans pass rusher Ola Adeniyi was randomly selected to be drug tested today according to his Instagram. Going back to Week 2, Ola Adeniyi has been on fire for the Titans. Not only has he locked down a role on special teams, but he earned some snaps on defense thanks to his high motor, athleticism, and work ethic.
Despite only getting three snaps in the game against the Seattle Seahawks, he made the most of his opportunity and ended up with a sack (potentially a safety) against Russell Wilson in overtime that ultimately led to the Titans’ game-winning field goal.
After a few bumps and bruises, starting EDGE Bud Dupree was only active as an emergency option on Sunday. So, Week 3 saw Adeniyi’s snap total skyrocket from 3 snaps to 29 snaps.
Again, he made the most of that chance by sacking Carson Wentz once by himself and once he and Harold Landry met at the quarterback. While he finished with those 1.5 sacks, he also got to the quarterback for a sack on a play waved off because of a…questionable defensive holding call on David Long.
The plot thickens for the Tennessee Titans rising star.
And wouldn’t you know it, the NFL randomly decided that Adeniyi was going to be drug tested today.
Now, no one is questioning the integrity of the NFL or suggesting that this is anything other than a funny series of events. But if someone were to say that it would be hard to blame them.
Adeniyi doesn’t seem to be too concerned about it after making the joke on Instagram, which is obviously good news for Titans fans. Despite the loss of a promising young EDGE in Rashad Weaver, the Titans do seem to have a trio of speed rushers in Landry, Adeniyi, and Dupree that should be a perfect fit outside of pocket destroyers like Jeffery Simmons, Teair Tart, and Denico Autry.
The Tennessee Titans may have found a diamond in the rough with this addition because, in his four-year career, Adeniyi has been active for 35 games and has only played more than 25% of the defensive snaps twice.
Once last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Week 17 game, and in Week 3 this year against the Indianapolis Colts.
Kudos to Jon Robinson for finding him and give Adeyini a ton of respect for earning a place at the table the hard way and then making a statement once he was given the chance to play.