One of the best parts about the NFL schedule release is looking into all of the fun storylines within each matchup. And who doesn't love a good revenge angle?
The Tennessee Titans are set to open up with a great opportunity for new head coach Robert Saleh to exact some revenge on his old team, the New York Jets, who fired him after the 2024 season. And not only will Saleh be looking for a measure of revenge in that game, but so will a former Titans second-round pick.
T'Vondre Sweat was part of a rare player-for-player trade earlier this offseason when the Titans acquired Jermaine Johnson from the New York Jets, reuniting Johnson with Saleh and giving the Titans a boost off the edge.
Sweat is only entering his third NFL season, and athletes are going to find any extra motivation they can. He undoubtedly felt like the Titans discarded him in that deal, and he showed on his Twitter/X account that he's excited to face off against his former team with a one-emoji reaction to the scheduling news.
Former Tennessee Titans draft pick T'Vondre Sweat will be out for revenge in Week 1 matchup
🫡😤😤 https://t.co/vdppKCe0zF
— Tvondre sweat (@TvondreSweat) May 14, 2026
Over the course of his first two seasons in the NFL, Sweat racked up 85 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, and six QB hits. He also added 13 total pressures, but his role on the interior is not necessarily always to be the one making the plays. He's going to be the one commanding a lot of extra attention with his size (6-foot-4, 366 pounds), while guys like Jeffery Simmons rack up pressures, sacks, and QB hits.
The Jets made a trade during the 2025 season to send defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys in a blockbuster deal, so this trade was really a huge benefit to both the Titans and Jets.
The Titans followed up the trade by going after John Franklin-Myers in NFL Free Agency, landing one of the best interior pass rushers in the league. And not only that, but reuniting Saleh with yet another one of the players he coached in New York.
And frankly, the message was pretty clearly sent to a guy like Sweat: You're not a fit for what we're doing. There were also questions about Sweat's work ethic that will certainly have him extra motivated to play against Tennessee in Week 1.
At least, that could be how he perceives it. The Titans took a look at last year's roster, their personnel, and they decided that Sweat was expendable. And he's going to carry that chip on his shoulder into the Week 1 matchup.
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