Nashville spent the bye week watching the Tennessee Titans turn two of their best defenders into draft picks. Jeffery Simmons went to Chicago, Amani Hooker went to Buffalo, and the 1-7 Titans now own four first-round picks across the next two drafts. Trades are done until March, but the free-agent market is still open.
That distinction matters more than usual this week. Before the Nov. 10 deadline, vested veterans who were cut went straight to free agency. Players released from here on are subject to waiver claims first. The veterans already sitting on the market can sign with anyone, today.
Robert Saleh has leaned on his locker room through the selling. “These young men are really resilient,” Saleh said after the first game without Simmons, per the Associated Press. Tennessee doesn’t need rentals. It needs bodies who can play the second half and maybe earn a look in 2027.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson, safety
The obvious hole is the one Hooker left. He had five of the team’s eight interceptions before the trade, and the starting safeties now are Tony Adams and rookie Kevin Winston Jr. Gardner-Johnson is 28 and was released by the Bills on Nov. 3 after six starts, 26 tackles and an interception.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported the release was about inconsistent play more than the one-game suspension he served for spitting toward Brock Bowers. That’s a real concern. It’s also the profile of a player a 1-7 team can afford to bet on for nine games, with nothing at stake beyond a roster spot.
Jack Jones, cornerback
© Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Tennessee’s corners are the other issue. Joshua Williams allowed a 158.3 passer rating in the overtime loss in Cincinnati, and Trevor Lawrence is next on the schedule. Jones, also 28, started all 17 games for Miami in 2025 with 77 tackles and an interception.
The 49ers released Jones on Oct. 28 to make room for DeForest Buckner. He played seven games for San Francisco with three passes defended. A one-year audition costs Tennessee nothing.
Xavier Woods, safety
Woods knows the building. He started 10 of 11 games for the Titans in 2025 and was released in February. Chicago signed him in August, started him twice and released him on Oct. 17 when Kyler Gordon came off the PUP list.
He’s 31 with 123 career starts, so he isn’t part of the 2027 plan. Put the numbers together and the two players Tennessee traded accounted for nine of the defense’s 28 sacks and interceptions this season, four sacks from Simmons and five picks from Hooker. A steady veteran voice in a secondary that just lost its leader would help a young defense get through the final nine games.
None of these moves changes the top-pick conversation. They would make Sundays at Nissan Stadium more competitive while the rookies keep getting snaps.
More on the Tennessee Titans
- Titans’ Joshua Williams Allowed a 158.3 Rating Before the Bye, and Trevor Lawrence Is Next
- Titans’ Calvin Ridley Situation Takes Notable Turn After Trade Deadline
- 4 Truths About the Tennessee Titans After the Deadline, Including the Hole Jeffery Simmons Left
- Titans Are Trade Deadline Winners After Selling Jeffery Simmons, Amani Hooker for Top Picks
