Mike Borgonzi has already made several big moves as the new general manager for the Tennessee Titans. In his first year as the main decision-maker in an NFL front office, Borgonzi elected to move on from former Pro Bowl edge rusher Harold Landry III in an attempt to save money and get younger at the position.
While Landry was certainly the team's best pass rusher last season, his production was not high enough to warrant his projected salary cap hit. Fellow Titans star defensive lineman Jefferey Simmons weighed in on the decision to cut Landry and shared a strong response to the news.
"(Expletive) crazy," wrote Simmons in a post on X. "Going to miss playing with my brother 58!! Go continue to do work!"
Landry played in all 17 games for the Titans last season and recorded 9.0 sacks and 71 tackles, 15 of which were for a loss. In his six healthy seasons in Tennessee, he totaled 50.5 sacks and nearly 400 tackles, including 70 tackles for loss. His sack and tackle-for-loss totals are the eighth and second-most in franchise history.
He was drafted by the organization in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft and shared the field with Simmons for six seasons. Tennessee needed to sacrifice some of their luxuries in an attempt to figure out their quarterback situation, but that does not make the pain of one of the team's longest-tenured players being cut seem any less significant. Especially not for Simmons.
Patriots Signing EDGE Harold Landry To Three-Year Deal Worth Up To $48M
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Patriots are signing EDGE Harold Landry to a three-year contract worth $43.5 million.
The deal includes $26 million guaranteed and can max out at $48 million.
The Patriots were clearly the team to watch for Landry, given that he previously played for HC Mike Vrabel in Tennessee and New England could really use pass rush help.
The Titans gave Landry permission to seek out a trade before releasing him.
Landry, 28, is a former second-round pick of the Titans back in 2018. He played out the final year of his four-year, $6,733,690 contract that included a $2,977,298 signing bonus.
Landry was set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2022 when he signed a five-year, $87.5 million extension with the Titans. He missed the entire 2022 season with a torn ACL.
He’s due base salaries of $17.5 million in each of the final two years of the deal.
In 2024, Landry appeared in all 17 games for the Titans and recorded 71 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks, four pass deflections and a safety.
