Draft-and-develop is the mantra at the core of the Tennessee Titans' rebuild, but you can only live by that mantra if young players get on the field and play instead of watching from the bench.
That is great news for players on their rookie contracts looking to get their chance, but that should set off alarm bells in the heads of every veteran on the roster. If a position battle comes down to a tie, the coaching staff could feel inclined to favor the younger player, which means that veterans must outperform the contracts they are given (or at least meet baseline expectations).
Looking over the Titans' cap hits for 2026 and beyond, three players need to have big seasons if they want to be on this roster next offseason.
L'Jarius Sneed, CB
If the Titans cut Sneed after this season, they will add $11.9 million to their vast reservoir of cap space immediately. While every Titans fan should be pulling hard for Sneed to have an incredible season, he has to prove that he still has the goods while showing that he can stay healthy and practice.
Considering his injury concerns (short-term and long-term) and his underwhelming performance last season when he was on the field, those are tall tasks for the veteran cornerback. With the current asking price for free agent cornerbacks and his history with Mike Borgonzi, he has a few things going for him, but it is going to take a big year to change minds in that building.
Xavier Woods, S
Woods is interesting because history says that he is going to be a very solid starter who gives you everything he has on defense. However, he'll turn 30 this season, and he is blocking Kevin Winston Jr.'s path to a starting spot in the base defense (once Winston is healthy), which conflicts with the draft-and-develop plan.
Whether the Titans choose to keep Woods for another year or cut him to free up $4 million next offseason could come down to how available Woods is versus how affordable impending free UFA Amani Hooker is. Hooker is younger and more talented, but he needs to stay healthy if he is going to convince the front office to give him another lucrative contract.
Tony Pollard, RB
The coaching staff has consistently praised Pollard, and he is one of the success stories from the 2024 offseason. However, he was brought in by the previous regime, and he will be 29 in 2026, so the new regime will have to weigh the cost of his production against the $7.5 million that he would add if they moved on from him.
Pollard will be an asset for Cam Ward this year, but Borgonzi (Kansas City Chiefs) and Callahan (Cincinnati Bengals) come from franchises that don't spend a lot of money at the running back position. A rotation of Tyjae Spears, Kalel Mullings, and another back could be a more appealing option for them.