In his first year as general manager, Mike Borgonzi has a lot of ground to cover with the Tennessee Titans. While the focus of the offseason will be the NFL Draft, in which the Titans own the No. 1 pick, free agency will also be a key focus of the 2025 NFL offseason.
Following another disappointing season, the Titans enter the offseason in a familiar position. Despite several key players contracted to return in 2025, the team could not be more lost. No singular player can feel safe on the roster, even with the several mini-breakouts that sparingly occurred.
The biggest question mark regards quarterback Will Levis, whose second-year campaign could hardly have been much worse. Whether due to injuries or benching, Levis played just 12 games in 2024, throwing for 2,091 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His 1.08 touchdown-interception ratio was dead last in the league among eligible quarterbacks.
After head coach Brian Callahan declared the season to be an “evaluation” of Levis as a starter, the former second-round pick cannot feel too encouraged. Regardless, without a Caleb Williams-like bonafide No. 1 prospect in the draft, Levis’ hopes of returning as the starter, however slim they may be, are still alive.
Quarterback is the primary concern, but the Titans have a host of issues to address in free agency ahead of the 2025 NFL offseason. Borgonzi will look to make a big splash in his first offseason on the job, but could further elevate his roster with a few under-the-radar moves.
WR Darius Slayton
Regardless of who will be under center in 2025, the Titans desperately need to add a consistent wideout in free agency. Calvin Ridley led the team with 1,017 yards in 2024, but frustratingly continued his career trend as more of a boom-or-bust pass-catcher than true WR1.
The 2025 free agency class will be full of high-profile options, including Tee Higgins, Stefon Diggs, Chris Godwin, Amari Cooper, and others. With the 11th-most projected cap space in the 2025 NFL offseason, the Titans have the space to target one of those big-name wideouts; the problem will be getting one to bite.
After six years with the New York Giants, Darius Slayton could fit what Callahan wants in a receiver to complement Ridley. Slayton has been up-and-down in his Giants tenure but has quietly been the most consistent pass-catcher on the roster since 2019. In his time, Slayton surpassed 700 receiving yards in four of his six years, each time leading the team in receiving.
With superstar rookie Malik Nabers entering the picture in 2024, Slayton’s role took a step back. He naturally is a complementary deep threat more than a bonafide alpha wideout anyway, making him a quality No. 2 behind Nabers. The Giants will want him back, but the Titans could offer him more money to play a similar role next to Ridley.
From Slayton’s perspective, going from Daniel Jones to Will Levis could be a tough sell. However, if the Titans add a veteran quarterback in free agency or assure him of a quarterback as their draft choice, Slayton could be the first part of Tennessee’s offensive transformation.
QB Mac Jones
With the way his 2024 season went, Levis’ Titans tenure appears to be over. While the Cam Ward pick appears more likely with each passing day, Tennessee is rumored to also be interested in adding a veteran quarterback in free agency. Former first-round pick Mac Jones is not the most exciting option but could be one who fits the role Borgonzi and Callahan desire.
If the Titans go through with drafting Ward, Jones is an ideal young quarterback to roster behind him. Jones spent 2024 as the backup to Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Despite making the Pro Bowl as a rookie, his days as a full-time starter appear to be long gone.
Jones entered the year as Lawrence’s backup but ended up starting eight games and appearing in 10. In them, he managed 1,674 passing yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. He can no longer spark an offense, but few free agent quarterbacks willing to sign on as a backup can match his combination of experience and youth.
The Titans should certainly not break the bank on a backup quarterback, much less on Jones, but in the event of drafting a rookie quarterback, they can afford to offer a slightly higher number than most others. At this point in his career, Jones still has a chance to revive his career. He would have a chance to do so with Tennessee.
S Ryan Neal
If the Titans had one positive to take away from 2024, it was their secondary. Despite losing former defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Tennessee still boasted one of the top passing defenses in the league, allowing the fewest passing yards per game in 2024. Blowout losses were certainly a factor, but Tennessee also allowed just 6.8 yards per pass, the fifth-best mark in the NFL.
With L’Jarius Sneed, Amani Hooker and Chidobe Awuzie returning, the Titans need to build on that momentum into 2025. The will lose a key piece in 10-year veteran Quandre Diggs, who does not appear likely to re-sign. Diggs will be one of the top names of a barren free agency market that is unlikely to produce many high-profile targets.
Despite a down year in 2024, veteran Ryan Neal is still a serviceable option for any safety-needy team. Neal will be somewhat of a gamble after a humble 2024 effort, but one who could prove to be a value buy in the long run. He is not a long-term solution, but a potential signing would allow Tennessee time to find one.
Without much experience behind Hooker, Tennessee can ill afford to enter the fall without adding another veteran. Neal will not be anyone’s first choice but could easily be signed for market value in a low-risk move. If nothing else, he would be a strong veteran voice in an otherwise young positional room.
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