The Tennessee Titans have had their fair share of injuries, but overall are no more banged up than most other teams at this point in the season. Although, middle linebacker is the one position where they are feeling the hurt more than any other on the team right now.
Kenneth Murray, Otis Reese, and Jerome Baker have all missed at least one recent game each due to injuries. Luke Gifford is now out with a concussion. Plus that is not even getting into trading Ernest Jones a few months back and losing Jack Gibbens to a horrific season-ending leg injury.
Despite this group getting decimated as the season has progressed, one positive is that it provides the Titans an opportunity to see what they have in two rookie linebackers. One of them got an opportunity last week, and the other did not, bringing up a huge question about his future outlook with the team.
Tennessee Titans indicate that James Williams is ahead of Cedric Gray at this point
Cedric Gray and James Williams were each taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, in the fourth and seventh rounds respectively. Neither was expected to be heavily involved in the middle linebacker rotation this year, but of course, injuries to other key players have opened up a chance for the rookies to show what they're capable of.
Or at least it would seem that way, as the only true opportunity was given to Williams in Week 15 at home against the Cincinnati Bengals. He out-snapped Gray 41-1 on the defensive side of the ball. If anything, you would think it would be the other way around with Gray being a higher draft pick than Williams, but it obviously turned out to be the complete opposite.
It just adds to what has been a tough season for Gray, as he missed a sizable chunk with a nerve-related shoulder injury, and clearly is nowhere close to being a starter even on a bad Titans team. Brian Callahan did offer him and Williams praise for their work on special teams recently and added that both will eventually get their action in the middle linebacker rotation. Getting significantly less playing time than a seventh rounder at his own position is not a great early indication for Gray, however.
There certainly could be more to the story. Perhaps the Titans are trying to take it slow with Gray since he has barely returned from injury, and middle linebacker is a position that takes time on task to master. Maybe it is also due to how well Williams is playing in his own right, as lots of people want to see him heavily featured down the stretch this season.
But the fact that Gray could not even see more than a single snap raises eyebrows. You would think the Titans would want him at least splitting time with Williams. And with it being a completely lost year for the team, they have nothing to lose by letting rookies get some action, so you have to wonder what concerns them so much that they cannot play him even under these circumstances.
Luckily for Ran Carthon and the Titans, the 2024 Draft looks like it was an overall success for them, even if Gray really ends up not working out. But there is absolutely no doubt that there will be immense pressure for him to see the field more in 2025.