The Tennessee Titans made the somewhat surprising decision to release center Lloyd Cushenberry on Wednesday evening. Releasing Cushenberry (with a failed physical designation) saves the team roughly $3.4 million in cap space while leaving behind approximately $9 million in dead money. It wasn't solely about the financials.
Cushenberry's departure leaves the Titans without a clear-cut starting center on the roster. Corey Levin, who has consistently played well, is also a pending free agent. The Titans will almost certainly re-sign Levin, who has emerged as a fan favorite.
Levin has never been considered an unquestioned starter and the Titans are aiming higher in 2026 after enduring consecutive 3-14 seasons. The Titans are now equipped with nearly $110 million in cap space after releasing Cushenberry and safety Xavier Woods. General manager Mike Borgonzi could enter the market for a pending free-agent center like Tyler Linderbaum.
Titans could sign big-ticket free agent C after releasing Lloyd Cushenberry
Linderbaum is considered the prize of the pending free agency class at center. The Baltimore Ravens are attempting to re-sign the consistent blocker before he reaches the open market on March 11. The Titans could emerge as Linderbaum's preferred suitor.
Signing Linderbaum would potentially be met with mixed reviews. The Titans just whiffed on a big free-agent signing at center in Cushenberry. Would Borgonzi be willing to gamble on another high-priced player at a traditionally devalued position?
Other potential targets at center could include Ethan Pocic, Cade Mays, or Connor McGovern. The Titans' internal options would include Levin (if re-signed) and sophomore sixth-round pick Jackson Slater. Slater's primary position as a rookie for the Titans was guard, but NFL scouts believed he was versatile enough to play center in last year's draft.
Spotrac projects Linderbaum to sign a multi-year contract worth more than $17 million per season. That would be significantly more than the Titans paid Cushenberry two offseasons ago. That may displease Borgonzi, who inherited the Cushenberry mistake from previous GM Ran Carthon.
Linderbaum will have multiple suitors if he chooses not to re-sign with the Ravens. The Titans could now emerge as front-runners after releasing Cushenberry.