The Tennessee Titans are already off to a busy offseason, having fired former general manager Ran Carthon after clinching the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Lost in all that hoopla was Monday's locker clean-out day, which offered local media their final opportunities to discuss the season with the 2024 roster. There was an important piece of information that slipped through the cracks and it centers around one of the highest-paid free agency signings from last season.
Starting center Lloyd Cushenberry suffered an Achilles injury in the middle of the season, and many feared that the lengthy recovery might hurt him in 2025. On Monday, Cushenberry told reporters that he expects to be fully healthy by June.
Cushenberry says he should be full strength around June
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) January 6, 2025
That is significant because training camp starts at the end of July. On paper, that gives Cushenberry time to fully recover from his injury and attempt to get into football shape as the Titans head into training camp.
While injuries weren't rampant early, the Titans suffered injuries to the wrong players and it hurt them. Out of the team's four most expensive offseason additions, three ended up missing half of the season or more (Cushenberry, L'Jarius Sneed, and Chidobe Awuzie).
Losing key players is hard for any team, but especially one that was rebuilding like the Titans, who were counting on high-priced veterans to play key roles on and off the field. Getting those players back and healthy for next season is a big deal and Cushenberry was a questionable one given the nature of his injury.
The good news for Cushenberry is that he should join an offensive line that is much better than it was when he left it.
J.C. Latham was an up-and-down left tackle as a rookie, but the talent is clearly there and he seems driven to correct his issues and get better. Speaking of sophomore improvement, Peter Skoronski really improved down the stretch of 2024 and is a legitimate building-block moving forward.
The numbers might not always show it, but Tennessee's offensive line improved a lot under offensive line guru Bill Callahan this season. Brian Callahan admitted that the team needed to find an answer at right tackle and right guard this offseason, but the Titans were able to find two good starters last summer. If they could do it again this year with more draft capital and a stable salary cap situation, the offensive line could showcase significant improvement.
To reach those lofty goals, Cushenberry has to be healthy. Getting Cushenberry back in June would be huge for this team.