The Tennessee Titans will report to training camp later this week. Though most eyes will focus on rookie quarterback Cam Ward, there are several other storylines worth following. One of the most urgent topics that must be immediately addressed is the health of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed.
The Titans made a sizable investment in Sneed last offseason, acquiring him for a third-round pick before paying him a $76.4 million extension. Sneed appeared in five contests with the Titans before suffering a quad injury. It was initially considered a minor setback and he was labeled as day-to-day. It proved to be far more complicated than initially believed, landing on season-ending IR.
Head coach Brian Callahan is hoping for a bounce-back season from Sneed, but the offseason got off to a less-than-ideal start. Sneed's quad injury remained an ongoing issue, preventing him from physically participating at OTAs or minicamp. He was also named in a lawsuit over an alleged shooting at a car dealer lot.
There's legitimate concern that Sneed could be in store for another disappointing season.
L'Jarius Sneed could be Titans' biggest 2025 bust
Sneed didn't perform admirably when on the field last season. Pro Football Focus assigned him a coverage grade of 36.8, easily the worst score of his star-studded career. Despite that, Sneed still earned a mention in ESPN's top 10 cornerbacks rankings list, though it arrived with a backhanded compliment. "I know he had a rough year with injuries and some off-the-field stuff, but he was really good for three years [in Kansas City]. The Chiefs must have known it was a good time to walk away," an NFL personnel evaluator said.
The Titans could choose to walk away from Sneed next offseason if he's not healthy and considerably more effective in 2025. New general manager Mike Borgonzi, who ironically played a role in sending Sneed to Tennessee while working as Kansas City's assistant GM last offseason, could save $11.9 million against the by releasing him, over OverTheCap. The savings increase to $16 million if designated as a post-June move.
Sneed is entering a make-or-break season in Nashville. The upcoming campaign needs to go considerably better than last year's nightmare season. Not all hope is lost, but Sneed is trending towards being an all-time disastrous Titans acquisition.