Do Titans have long-term plan for veteran DL Sebastian Joseph-Day?

Competing teams called the Tennessee Titans during Tuesday's NFL trade deadline to see what it would cost to trade for a few players, according to reports. Even though some bigger names like Arden Key were mentioned, the most curious decision made by Titans general manager Ran Carthon was the one to keep Sebastian Joseph-Day.

Unlike Joseph-Day, Key isn't on an expiring contract. He's signed through 2025 and could be a viable piece for Dennard Wilson's defense next season. Carthon had little-to-no reason to accept less than a fair offer for his services.

Jeffery Simmons and Joseph-Day were also brought up in trade rumors on Tuesday afternoon. The Titans essentially laughed and hung up the phone when asked about the availability of Simmons, per reports, but Joseph-Day was different from the other names because he is the prototypical trade deadline target.

The veteran defensive lineman is having a very good season for the Titans, even though it is flying under the radar for most. Playoff contenders like the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers entered Tuesday's deadline needing help in the trenches. Since Joseph-Day is set to be a free agent after this season, a trade could have aided the Titans' upcoming offseason.

Despite reported interest in Joseph-Day, the trade deadline came and went and he remained in Tennessee. The big question is, why? Why would the 2-6 Titans keep a 29-year-old defensive tackle on an expiring contract for the last few months of a wasted season?

The only sensible answer is that the Titans haven't ruled out bringing Joseph-Day back after this season. Carthon could consider signing Joseph-Day to an extension before free agency starts. It may cost more than the one-year agreement he's currently playing on.

Considering that Joseph-Day has worked well with Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat this season, he would be the perfect player to add depth to the defensive line next year. One of the good things about this season is that first-year head coach Brian Callahan is getting hands-on experience with these players, and that is important when he is filling roster holes next year.

The Titans defense has been good this season, and running it back with most of the same personnel makes sense. Obviously, the Titans want to make some upgrades, but having cheaper veterans that you can trust and who supplement those expensive additions, is key to this rebuild. Joseph-Day has been a steal for less than $4 million this season, so bringing him back on a similar contract next year would be a no-brainer.