The Robert Saleh era is officially underway for the Tennessee Titans. Saleh was introduced to Nashville media on Thursday. He'll soon get to work on collaborating with general manager Mike Borgonzi on their shared vision of the 2026 Titans.
Part of that process includes figuring out if players acquired by the previous regime are scheme fits for the new coaching staff. Saleh possesses nine campaigns of play-calling experience on his resume. The Titans defense will be his, as he plans to call defensive plays in Tennessee.
One player who could face uncertainty this offseason is third-year defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat. Sweat is a questionable fit in Saleh's proven defense. It could lead to the former Texas standout being subject to offseason trade rumors.
Titans DT T'Vondre Sweat could be an offseason trade surprise if Robert Saleh can't utilize him in his defense
Saleh’s preferred method for his defensive line is to create one-on-one matchups for his linemen by alignment, as broken down in this terrific piece by Mike Herndon. Herndon explains that Saleh often sets his four defensive linemen outside with two wide 9-techniques and two 3-techniques and no defensive linemen lined up in either A gap. This is where the Sweat question comes into play.
Saleh's defenses haven't traditionally utilized nose tackles. “We value speed, get-off and explosiveness over just gargantuan size," Saleh once claimed about his preferred defensive lineman. Sweat has gargantuan size, but speed and explosiveness aren't his calling cards.
It was former Titans GM Ran Carthon who drafted Sweat at 38th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Then-head coach Brian Callahan was very on board with that decision. After an excellent rookie season, Sweat experienced a more inconsistent sophomore year.
Sweat wasn't a frequent participant throughout training camp due to various issues, including tonsillitis. He injured his ankle Week 1 and after declaring himself healthy for Week 3, was swiftly placed on IR, causing him to miss four games instead. Sweat eventually returned and finished the campaign strong, but his motivation and work ethic has occasionally come into question, prompting Jeffery Simmons to encourage them to train together this offseason.
Saleh and Borgonzi must collaborate to sort through Sweat's fit with the organization this offseason. A trade prior to the 2026 NFL Draft qualifies as possible.