The Tennessee Titans have been very aggressive throughout NFL free agency. General manager Mike Borgonzi committed nearly $300 million to more than a dozen first-wave acquisitions. Despite the spending, two positions that have gone unaddressed are center and right guard.
The Titans released center Lloyd Cushenberry with a failed physical designation. Once free agency began, Borgonzi seemingly struggled to zero in on an appropriate replacement. The team signed veteran journeyman Austin Schlottmann to a modest two-year contract.
Schlottmann previously played for offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. He knows the offense, and performed admirably when asked to play in 2025. The expectation is that Schlottmann will compete with sophomore Jackson Slater for the starting center gig.
Titans may be overly reliant on sophomore offensive lineman Jackson Slater
Paul Kuharsky recently reported that the Titans may have been caught off guard by the happenings at center around the league. That would align with what's happened. It seems unlikely that the Titans' initial plan was to have a veteran journeyman compete with an inexperienced sophomore, but that's the current situation.
Slater was selected during the fifth round (No. 167) of the 2025 NFL Draft. He essentially redshirted as a rookie, while facing a steep strength and compete-level acclimation from Sacramento State. Slater played 34 offensive snaps in Week 18, putting forth a solid performance in injury relief.
That Week 18 showing was the extent of Slater's rookie campaign experience. It didn't appear as if the Titans were counting on him to start in 2026. A new coaching staff who wasn't present for his rookie-year development are now tasked with making decisions regarding Slater's readiness.
Slater possesses enough positional versatility to play guard, but strong indications are he'll compete at center. The Titans have several months ahead of them in the player acquisition cycle to make decisions across the offensive line, including the 2026 NFL Draft. As of mid March, they appear dangerously reliant on Slater's development.