The Tennessee Titans left Atlanta last Friday night with a victory in their second preseason game over the Falcons, but the biggest story to come from it was a dropped pass in the first quarter. Van Jefferson signed a one-year contract with the Titans on March 14th to become the veteran in the wide receiver room, but his roster status looks dimmer by the day.
Cam Ward's first-ever pass in an NFL game was thrown to Jefferson in the Titans' first preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he was unable to reel in the well-placed pass. Just one game later, Jefferson was the only veteran receiver to suit up as Calvin Ridley and Tyler Lockett got the night off.
That was the first sign that Jefferson wasn't a guarantee to make the 53-man roster. He then proceeded to drop a perfectly placed pass by the rookie quarterback, this time deep down the field in a play that would've put the Titans in scoring position. That dropped pass wasn't received well by the Titans fanbase and brought the conclusion that may have already existed.
Van Jefferson on Titans roster bubble after brutal preseason drop
Jefferson's signing wasn't well-received by the Titans' fanbase to begin with, as his career has been mostly disappointing since he was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020. His best season was as a sophomore in 2021, when he finished the campaign with 50 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns, helping the Rams win a Super Bowl.
However, his last three seasons have saw a significant dip in production, with 851 combined receiving yards and five touchdowns between three teams. Tyler Lockett signed with the Titans one day before the 2025 NFL Draft that saw the Titans draft Ward with the number one overall pick, and wide receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor in the fourth round two days later.
The addition of those three receivers already made Jefferson's spot on the roster far from guaranteed. Lockett has had a much more successful career with 8,594 receiving yards and 61 touchdowns in his 10-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks. Adding two rookies in the fourth round with potential showed the team is looking to develop younger options, with help from Lockett and Ridley as the veterans.
Other young receivers such as Bryce Oliver, James Proche, and Xavier Restrepo are Jefferson's biggest threat to not make the roster. The Titans have one preseason game remaining against the Minnesota Vikings, so Jefferson will have one final opportunity to prove he should garner a roster spot as the veteran addition he was initially brought in to be.