There's a reason football fans joke that defensive backs aren't wide receivers. But so far in 2026, Tennessee Titans cornerbacks have taken that joke to an entirely new level.
Through five games so far this season, neither Alontae Taylor nor Cor'Dale Flott has a single pass broken up. That is absolutely absurd in today's day and age, and head coach Robert Saleh called it out ahead of the team's Week 6 matchup against the Colts in Indianapolis.
Saleh said that the Titans "need more" out of both starting corners, and to say that is an understatement would be putting it mildly. Not only do the lack of plays on the ball prove that the Titans' defensive backfield is getting ripped to shreds each week, but other numbers paint a grim reality.
Titans cornerbacks have to step up in Week 6 vs. Daniel Jones and the Colts
Saleh: We need more out of both corners. I don’t think we’ve had a PBU yet
— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) October 14, 2026
It's not that the Titans have been completely terrible in all aspects of their pass defense, or that they rank at the bottom of the league in every category. And, to be fair to the corners, there is a symbiotic relationship between the pass rush and the secondary, which isn't exactly working out so far this season either...
The Titans' defensive front has just 10 sacks in five games so far this season, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the league going into Week 6.
The duo of Taylor and Flott has been targeted a total of 35 times so far this season, and they have allowed 28 receptions (80 percent completion rate). That simply can't happen from your two starting cornerbacks in the NFL.
Those two players each had 11 passes broken up last season (on different teams), and have been paid a grand total of $74 million in guaranteed money by the Titans to come in and be a lot better than we've seen so far.
It's no wonder Saleh is calling these guys out, specifically, especially when you consider their pay grade.
Saleh said Alontae Taylor has shown some growth, but said it wasn't his best day on Sunday, "and that's putting it nicely."
— Terry McCormick (@terrymc13) October 14, 2026
Alontae Taylor is much more of a slot corner by trade, and even if the Titans believe he's capable of more on the outside, you have to wonder if that experiment might end. It might not be until after this season, because they just don't have the alternatives in place right now.
Even then, Marcus Harris is one of the young players actually doing a solid job in the Titans' secondary right now, so do you mess around with that if you're Robert Saleh?
The only solution is really to have Taylor -- and Flott -- play better. It's fine to give a little bit of a grace period for players adjusting to new defensive schemes, new NFL cities, and new teammates. The season is still young, and the Titans have time for those guys to get back on track.
But making plays on the ball, from this point forward, has to be a non-negotiable. With Daniel Jones playing a lot more conservative so far this season in how far he's throwing the ball down the field, it's an opportunity for these corners to be aggressive and do what they're paid to do: Make plays on the ball.
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