Titans should hope that Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins reach free agency next year
By Will Lomas
The Tennessee Titans are poised to have the NFL's biggest shift in offensive philosophy this season with the addition of Brian Callahan as the head coach and play caller.
That means that fans should expect to see rosters with fewer blocking tight ends and running backs, and more wide receivers. We've already seen signs of that shift in roster building.
Heading into 2024, there arguably isn't a trio of wide receivers in the NFL who can say they are better across the board than the Titans. Not only are DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and Tyler Boyd proven players, they are stepping into roles that fit their strengths perfectly.
Training camp starts next week, and fans are excited about finally seeing this trio together for the first time. However, some people have one eye toward the future, and wonder what this group will look like in 2025.
As it stands now, Hopkins and Boyd are scheduled to hit free agency after the season. Boyd signed a one-year deal with the team, and Hopkins is reaching the end of his two-year contract that he signed last offseason.
The Titans have the money to extend Hopkins if they want, but it seems like they are going to wait until after the season to make that decision, and there is a reason for that.
Hopkins has quickly turned into a fan-favorite and he was very productive in 2023, but he isn't getting younger, and the wide receiver market could be loaded in free agency next year. Especially if the trade buzz around Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and San Francisco 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk remains buzz and doesn't materialize into any real moves.
Titans fans should hope that Higgins and Aiyuk can coexist with their current teams long enough to make it through the season without signing an extension (or being traded) with their current team.
If they do, they would hit a class of free agent wide receivers that is already deep and talented. How deep and talented? 10 receivers on the list have had multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
1. CeeDee Lamb (expected to sign an extension this offseason)
2. Brandon Aiyuk
3. Tee Higgins
4. DeAndre Hopkins
5. Chris Godwin
6. Amari Cooper
7. Stefon Diggs
8. Brandin Cooks
9. Keenan Allen
10. Mike Williams
For a team like the Titans who have the money to spend and a desire to build around the quarterback, seeing these wide receivers hit free agency would give them more options as they weigh replacing Hopkins as the "X" receiver in their offense.
They could consider one (or two) of these receivers, or they could extend Hopkins. They could opt for familiarity and reunite Higgins with Callahan, or they could go hard after Aiyuk even if he got franchise-tagged.
That part is impossible to predict right now, but the point is that they would have resources and options. That is exactly what you want if you are a rebuilding team and Carthon and Co. have already proven that they can strike the perfect balance between aggression and savvy team building if you give them the chance.
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