The Titans decided to do right by wide receiver Josh Reynold’s request, releasing the veteran pass-catcher while hoping the supporting cast can step up.
Soon-to-be former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Josh Reynolds would have been a nice commodity to keep around as insurance.
But there was no way, at least not without serious injury, he was going to overtake fellow wide receivers Julio Jones and A.J. Brown on the depth chart this season. And with those two having stayed mostly healthy over the course of 2021, it was inevitable the 26-year-old Reynolds would see a notable decrease in offensive targets and snaps after inking a one-year, $1.75 million contract during the offseason.
A move Tennessee made prior to the blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Falcons for Jones.
So, as a result, Reynolds requested his release and was granted it on Tuesday, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo:
WR Josh Reynolds asked for, and was granted, his release from the #Titans today, source says. He signed as a free agent this offseason before they traded for Julio Jones. Reynolds, 26, heads to waivers, where claiming teams will owe him only $500k the rest of the way.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 9, 2021
With the 2021 NFL trade deadline now passed, released players will be subjected to waivers, and it’s not hard to see a wide receiver-needy team enticed by Reynolds, who had a career-best 52 receptions for 618 yards with the Los Angeles Rams a year ago.
Especially with a relatively easy-to-absorb $500,000 in remaining salary for a team putting in a claim.
Should Reynolds clear waivers, he’d be free to sign with any team at that point.
Josh Reynolds made a scant impact with Titans in 2021
Originally looking to be the complementary outside weapon to pair with Brown before the Jones deal, the 6-foot-3, 196-pound Reynolds only ended up with 10 receptions on 13 targets for 90 yards over the course of five games played. In total, Reynolds appeared on just 36 percent of the team’s offensive snaps during that timeframe, so it’s safe to say Tennessee didn’t exactly have much use for him in the offense.
Even after losing running back Derrick Henry to a serious foot injury, the thought head coach Mike Vrabel would switch to a potent pass-happy attack in the forthcoming weeks.
True, the Titans managed just 69 rush yards in Week 9 against Reynolds’ old team, the Rams. But Reynolds was nevertheless inactive for the game anyway.
Also on Tennessee’s wide receiver depth chart on the 53-man roster are Chester Rogers, Marcus Johnson and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, while Racey McMath and Cameron Batson are both on injured reserve.