Once upon a time, the Tennessee Titans appeared to have drafted a gem in small-school offensive guard Nate Davis during the 2019 NFL Draft. Davis established himself as an every-down starter midway through his rookie season. He'd later go on to enjoy a career-best campaign as a sophomore in 2020.
Davis failed to build on that momentum as a third-and-fourth-year player in 2021 and 2022. Recurring injuries began revealing themselves that prevented the former Charlotte standout from reaching the potential he once flashed. Following the conclusion of 2022, his fourth season, the Titans had a difficult decision to make whether or not to re-sign Davis to a multi-year deal after his rookie contract expired.
The Titans ultimately opted against re-signing Davis. He quickly cashed in on a three-year contract worth $30 million with the Chicago Bears during the 2023 free agency period. That decision turned out to be disastrous for the Bears, who released Davis from that contract on Wednesday morning.
The #Bears have released veteran G Nate Davis, who they shopped prior to the trade deadline. He started 13 times over the last two seasons for them.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 13, 2024
Titans avoided Nate Davis disaster
The Titans replaced Davis by signing Daniel Brunskill to a modest two-year contract worth $5.5 million. Despite the total value of his contract being $24.5 million less, Brunskill arguably outperformed Davis last season. His Pro Football Focus overall grade of 67.1 was significantly higher than Davis' 52.9.
Furthermore, Brunskill is still a key member of the Titans. First-year head coach Brian Callahan and offensive line coach Bill Callahan opted for more size in the starting five, demoting Brunskill from starter to versatile swing lineman. Still, the versatile blocker started in place of Dillon Radunz at right guard in a Week 9 win over the New England Patriots, and has since replaced an injured Lloyd Cushenberry as the team's starting center, playing another quality game in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Elsewhere, Davis started just 13 games for the Bears and was released midway through his lucrative deal. Beyond failing to meet on-field expectations, Davis' tenure in Chicago was extremely tumultuous. Repeated absences in practice and multiple nagging injuries plagued his time in The Windy City.
Despite being their highest-paid lineman, Davis was removed from the Bears' starting lineup in Week 5. Veteran journeyman Matt Pryor replaced him as the team’s starting right guard. Davis was then being made inactive on game days before an unexpected back injury prevented him from re-entering the lineup when injuries occurred. That appeared to be the final straw.