Cheap quarterback contracts are a cheat code for teams that need to add talent, and former Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon tried to exploit that before the 2024 season.
There is no shortage of reasons why the Titans' 2024 season turned out so poorly. Turnovers, horrific special teams, injuries, a roster still missing impact starters at several positions, and a defense that couldn't get to the quarterback all contributed to the 2024 nightmare.
While Chidobe Awuzie and Kenneth Murray were failures, the Titans had hits with Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley. Ultimately, that offseason will be judged on what the two other big additions do.
The players in question are center Lloyd Cushenberry and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed. Both players were given contracts near the top of the market then, but both missed more than half of the season with injuries.
Both players need to have a strong 2025 season if they are going to shake the "mistake" label that Titans fans have put on them. The first step toward a bounce back year is getting back on the field, and Brian Callahan gave fans some good news on that front Monday morning at the annual owner's meetings.
.@Titans HC Brian Callahan said he’s hopeful center Lloyd Cushenberry will be ready for training camp. Team will be patient with him as he recovers from Achilles injury, he said
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) March 31, 2025
Brian Callahan said L'Jarius Sneed is coming along well and will likely be ready for camp. Sneed has been in the building and eager to prove he's still one of the best CBs in the game and that last year wasn't the norm. Callahan was unsure whether or not Sneed is running yet.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) March 31, 2025
Even if the Titans are being cautious with both players, it seems the plan is for them to be ready and active in training camp. Sneed's eagerness to prove that he can still play could indicate a change from 2024, where he didn't practice during the offseason and preseason.
Cushenberry will face another set of challenges because he needs to develop chemistry with the next starting quarterback so that the two are on the same page once the season starts.
The good news is that both players should return to units that are better than when they left.
For Sneed, the Titans cut Awuzie and replaced him with second-year corner Jarvis Brownlee because the Louisville rookie was just a better player than Awuzie last season. The trio of Sneed, Brownlee, and Roger McCreary is a good one for the Titans, and their average age is 25.7 years old, meaning they should have some good years in front of them.
On the offensive line, Cushenberry will be surrounded by rising star Peter Skoronski and veteran stud Kevin Zeitler, who has been either excellent or very good his entire career.
There is still a lot of work to be done on this roster, but if these two can hit the ground running in camp, it would make life a little easier on this team and make last offseason look like less of a catastrophe.