The Tennessee Titans sport one of the worst records in the league after Sunday’s debacle against the rampaging Buffalo Bills. According to Tankathon, they hold the fourth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft with an impressively bad 1-5 record. Tennessee could ignite the already hot trade market with a few veterans.
Speculation is already rampant for one of its star players. Could there be more on the way out the door to make room for the next crop of Titans youngsters? Which veterans could the Titans use to ignite the slow-burning trade market?
Titans Could Ignite Trade Market With These Veterans
DeAndre Hopkins
The aging superstar receiver is an old warhorse who could still be a complementary piece for a contending team. He’s a free agent after the season, and Tennessee likely won’t extract a high price. He is third on the team in targets with 21 and is also second in yards with 173 yards.
In the past few weeks, he has stated that he wants to stay in Nashville, but Sunday’s events may have changed that thinking. Head coach Brian Callahan stated that Hopkins was dealing with some soreness, but with the trade deadline looming, it could be inferred that the team was holding him out to maximize his value.
With the team spiraling toward a putrid season that could set offensive football back decades, it’s approaching the time to end his stay in Nashville. He was ultra-productive last season with over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns but has struggled to get going this season due to injury slowing him down.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who have well-documented issues in the receiver room and were a contender for Hopkins the last time he was a free agent, could be in the market. Dallas could also be an intriguing partner for Tennessee, but Jerry Jones likes his current team, which surrounds the enigmatic Dak Prescott.
New Orleans is also hurting for depth as Chris Olave is banged up, and Rashid Shaheed just landed on IR. San Francisco lost Brandon Aiyuk to a significant knee injury and needs help. Pittsburgh is seemingly always on the hunt for receiver help to complement George Pickens.
Jeffery Simmons
Although not as prominently featured in rumors as Hopkins, Simmons is the subject of an undercurrent of speculation. He’s on a relatively manageable contract for the level of talent he brings, and he is just 27 years old. Tennessee doesn’t necessarily need the cap room, but trading him would save them approximately $8 million against the 2025 cap.
He has been battling a torn UCL injury but has played up to his standard this season. The Titans will need a significant return to even consider trading him. He is one of Tennessee’s more tradeable assets. Any team except for the Chiefs, Bills and Giants should be on the phone with GM Ran Carthon if Simmons were available.
Arden Key
Key hasn’t lived up to his contract given out during the 2023 offseason. Brought in to bolster an anemic pass rush, he has given the Titans only seven sacks in 1.5 seasons. The Titans could be looking to cut bait on a contract loss and recoup whatever value he can bring.
Teams that need a situational pass rusher on a modest deal might be interested in the current Titans EDGE, especially considering that the Haason Reddick situation has been resolved. Perhaps the Titans paid him to be something more than he is or ever will be. Whatever the case, it’s time to move on, and it will cost Tennessee $6.5 million in dead cap space to make it happen.
Harold Landry
Unlike Key, Landry has more than lived up to his contract, registering double-digit sacks in the past two seasons when he was healthy. He has four sacks in the six games this season and could be well on his way to another double-digit sack campaign. Landry has been the most productive member of the Titans’ defensive front, so the asking price will be high.
y the time the Titans are competitive again, he could be well into his 30s. A Landry trade would be a bargain for the team acquiring him, as he’s due $17.5 million during the next two seasons. Tennessee will likely hang onto him as a building block for the next great iteration of their defense.
Main Photo Courtesy of Jasen Vinlove – Imagn Images
