![Jacksonville Jaguars center Luke Fortner (79) runs onto the field before an NFL first round playoff football matchup Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Los Angeles Chargers on a field goal 31-30. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jki 011423 Chargers Jags Cp 101](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5472,h_3078/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/35/01kjx7n261d82gbgepcs.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars center Luke Fortner (79) runs onto the field before an NFL first round playoff football matchup Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars edged the Los Angeles Chargers on a field goal 31-30. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jki 011423 Chargers Jags Cp 101")
The Tennessee Titans will enter NFL free agency looking for a new starting center. That much was essentially guaranteed when general manager Mike Borgonzi made the decision to cut starter Lloyd Cushenberry. Cushenberry was released with a failed physical designation, so perhaps the Titans felt like they had no choice.
Alas, Borgonzi needs a veteran pivot to help new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Cam Ward run the offense. Luckily, the Titans are equipped with more than $90 million in cap space. Borgonzi possesses the financial resources needed to make a splash at the position.
Paul Kuharsky recently wrote an article outlining the Titans' reported plan at center. Some of the expected names appear, like Tyler Linderbaum and Connor McGovern, the consensus top two pending free agents at center. The surprising name is Luke Fortner, who would qualify as a risky reclamation project.
Titans linked to risky free-agent gamble at center
"Tyler Linderbaum of the Ravens is the top center heading to free agency now," Kuharsky wrote. "The Titans' search can go wide in a pretty solid market. Still, three others are also on the Titans' radar: Connor McGovern of the Bills, Tyler Biadasz, who Washington recently released, and Luke Fortner of the Saints."
The rival Jacksonville Jaguars selected Fortner with the 65th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. That's fairly high for a center. Fortner never met expectations in Duval, and the Jaguars traded him to the New Orleans Saints last August while still on his rookie contract.
Fortner ended up winning the Saints' starting center job. He earned 675 snaps at the position and graded out positively, according to Pro Football Focus. The former Kentucky standout had an overall grade of 66.5 and was credited with only allowing three sacks and 11 pressures. Fortner was disciplined, whistled for just three penalties.
That qualifies as a tidy bounce-back season. Can the Titans afford to gamble at center on an ascending player who was disappointing from 2022-24 before a change of scenery helped him rediscover his potential in 2025? All free agents come with a buyer-beware label attached, but Linderbaum and McGovern feel like significantly safer bets at center.