The Tennessee Titans are experiencing something for the 2025 season that they had not experienced in a very long time.
For the first time since the 2017 campaign, pass rusher Harold Landry III will not be on the roster. The Titans cut Landry just before the start of free agency last month, and at the time, he was the longest-tenured member on the roster.
Sports Illustrated writer Ryan Phillips named Landry as the Titans' biggest loss in free agency.
"The Patriots' free-spending ways netted them Landry on a three-year, $43 million deal. The former Pro Bowler had nine sacks in 2024, following 10.5 in 2023. The 28-year-old peaked in his Pro Bowl season of 2021 when he racked up 12 sacks and 75 tackles. The Patriots are betting on a return to form," Phillips writes.
The New England Patriots were able to snag Landry, marking a return close to where he went to university at Boston College. The move also reunites Landry with head coach Mike Vrabel, who helped draft him in 2018, which also happened to be the year he was hired in Tennessee.
Moving on from Landry is another sign of the changing of the guard for the Titans. It all truly began in 2022 when the team traded A.J. Brown on draft night to the Philadelphia Eagles, a move that marked the beginning of the end of Jon Robinson's tenure as general manager.
The team hired Ran Carthon to replace him, and he ended up drafting Will Levis as the successor to Ryan Tannehill, the team's long-term starting quarterback. Once none of those guys proved to be the answer, the Titans swapped out Carthon for Mike Borgonzi, who is now expected to select Cam Ward with the number one overall pick to replace Levis.
Titans Punter Should Have Big Impact
The Tennessee Titans made a surprising change on special teams this offseason, saying goodbye to the team's incumbent punter Ryan Stonehouse.
Stonehouse, 25, joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2022 to compete against Brett Kern for the starting job. When the Titans cut Kern, Stonehouse took over and had the job ever since, until the team decided to not re-sign him this offseason.
The move was a surprise to Stonehouse, but the Titans were able to replace him with Johnny Hekker, who is one of the most decorated punters in NFL history. Hekker played last season with the Carolina Panthers, and Sports Illustrated writer Ryan Phillips believes that he is the biggest loss in free agency for the NFC South franchise.
"Yes, losing a punter can be significant. Hekker didn't have his best season in 2024, as he ranked 12th in net punting (41.9 yards per punt) and 28th in average yards per punt (45.7), but he was eighth in average return yards (6.8)," Phillips writes.
"The 35-year-old is a six-time All-Pro (four first-team selections) and was a member of the NFL's 2010s All-Decade team. He has a long track record of success and it's always risky to make big changes to special teams units. Hekker was allowed to leave and signed a one-year deal with the Titans."
Hekker has 13 years of NFL experience, playing with the St. Louis and Los Angeles Rams from 2012-21 before three seasons with the Panthers.
The Titans aren't expected to be very good for the 2025 season, so having a punter that can be one of the best in the NFL will be key. Hekker will be able to get the Titans' special teams unit in check as they look to find ways to improve the totality of the roster for the upcoming season.
