The Tennessee Titans endured a difficult 3-14 season in 2024. Clearly, several players did not meet expectations throughout the campaign. That makes it particularly difficult when trying to identify who their most improved player was.
However, one veteran defensive linemen stands out. Now former general manager Ran Carthon signed Sebastian Joseph-Day to a one-year contract worth $4 million last offseason. Tasked with playing alongside Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, and rookie T'Vondre Sweat, Joseph-Day took advantage of his opportunities to revive his once failing career.
That's precisely why Pro Football Focus named him Tennessee's most improved player in 2024.
Pro Football Focus names Sebastian Joseph-Day Titans' most improved player
"Sebastian Joseph-Day has bounced around a few teams in the last couple of seasons, and there was hope that he could be a major player on the defensive line for the Titans, who needed some stability after two losing seasons," Thomas Valentine wrote. "The Titans had a disastrous season, finishing with the worst record in the NFL at 3-14, but Joseph-Day was at least a positive contributor and improved his stock from a year ago."
Joseph-Day recorded 44 tackles, his most since 2020. The former sixth-round selection also accumulated 2.5 sacks. Joseph-Day is among the Titans players scheduled for unrestricted free agency in March. New general manager Mike Borgonzi should possess interest in re-signing him, despite not being the decision maker that brought him to Tennessee in the first place.
"His 70.3 grade was his best since 2020, and Joseph-Day had a career-high 77.9 run-defense grade, which was eighth among all interior defenders in the NFL," Valentine continued. "That’s where his bread has always been buttered, and Joseph-Day had 26 stops and a 10.4% stop rate against the run, both top-10 marks in the league. A big improvement from his last few seasons."
Joseph-Day was an asset to Dennard Wilson's run defense, though that overall unit was a weakness down the stretch of the 2024 season. Together, Simmons, Sweat, and Joseph-Day were the strength of Tennessee's defense.
It'll be interesting to monitor whether or not Borgonzi and president of football operations Chad Brinker have interest in bringing Joseph-Day back. They've also added Dave Ziegler and Reggie McKenzie to the front office. Together, they'll collaborate on rebuilding the Titans' roster slowly through the draft, so the 29-year-old Joseph-Day may not align with their timeline. He certainly played well enough to earn an extension.