NASHVILLE -- The Tennessee Titans opened the doors to Saint Thomas Sports Park this past weekend for their annual rookie minicamp, welcoming 19 draft picks and undrafted free agents along with 58 tryout players hoping to earn an NFL opportunity. By the time the three-day camp wrapped up Sunday evening, every one of those 58 hopefuls left without a contract.
Head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Mike Borgonzi have decided not to sign any of the rookie minicamp tryout players, sources confirmed. The decision signals that the Titans are satisfied with their current 90-man roster composition following the 2026 NFL Draft and the subsequent undrafted free agent class.
It's a notable departure from the norm around the league, where rookie minicamp tryouts often yield a handful of camp bodies or even a surprise contributor. For Tennessee, though, the math simply didn't add up.
A Full House in the Locker Room
The Titans entered rookie minicamp with a draft class that included seven selections, headlined by first-round wide receiver Carnell Tate out of Ohio State, second-round edge rusher Keldric Faulk from Auburn, and fifth-round running back Nicholas Singleton out of Penn State. Adding to that haul, the team signed 11 undrafted free agents to round out the weekend's official rookie arrivals.
With the roster already at 90 players -- the offseason limit -- there was simply no room to add tryout players without releasing someone else. And the Titans, it appears, weren't moved enough by any individual tryout performance to clear a spot.
"We got a really good look at a lot of talented young men this weekend," Saleh said after the camp, per team reporters. "Our pro personnel and scouting staff did a great job of identifying guys who could potentially help us. But right now, we feel really good about the group we have."
That group includes a veteran-laden roster that underwent significant changes this offseason. Saleh, now in his first season as the Titans' head coach, inherited a roster that had been retooled by Borgonzi through free agency and the draft. The Titans added quarterback Cam Ward in the first round -- though he's listed behind Hendon Hooker, Will Levis, and Mitchell Trubisky on the depth chart -- and brought in established veterans like wide receiver Calvin Ridley and running back Tony Pollard to anchor the skill positions.
The roster is deep. Perhaps unexpectedly deep for a team that finished near the bottom of the AFC South last season.
Why No Tryout Signings Make Sense
Rookie minicamp tryout players are typically long shots. They're undrafted free agents who didn't get signed immediately after the draft, former college players who went unnoticed, or players who have been out of football entirely. Occasionally, a diamond emerges -- think of former Titans special teams ace Daren Bates, who originally entered the league as a tryout player with the Rams -- but the hit rate is extraordinarily low.
For a team with as much competition for roster spots as the Titans currently have, adding a tryout player would have meant cutting a player who already has a month-plus of offseason program work under his belt. With OTAs set to begin in the coming weeks, continuity matters.
Tennessee's 90-man roster is stacked with intriguing battles at every position group. At quarterback, Cam Ward joins a room that already includes Hooker, Levis, and Trubisky -- four arms for what will likely be three spots on the final 53. The running back room features Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Michael Carter, Julius Chestnut, Kalel Mullings, and rookie Nicholas Singleton. Wide receiver is even more crowded: Ridley, Wan'Dale Robinson, veteran K.J. Osborn, plus rookies Tate and Chimere Dike, among others.
Defensively, the Titans have invested heavily in the pass rush. Second-rounder Faulk joins a defensive end rotation that includes Jermaine Johnson II, John Franklin-Myers, and Jacob Martin. The interior features Jeffery Simmons, Solomon Thomas, and Jordan Elliott. The linebacker corps added Anthony Hill Jr. in the draft and retained veterans Cody Barton and Cedric Gray.
Simply put, there wasn't a clear opening for a tryout player to crack the top 90. And the Titans weren't going to manufacture one.
What's Next for the Titans
With rookie minicamp in the rearview mirror, the Titans now turn their full attention to the next phase of the offseason program: Organized Team Activities (OTAs). These voluntary practices, which begin later this month, will be the first real opportunity for the coaching staff to install the offensive and defensive systems in a competitive setting.
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will begin the process of molding an offense that features a new quarterback competition, a revamped receiving corps, and a running game built around Pollard and Spears. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will work to integrate young pass rushers like Faulk and veteran newcomers like Jermaine Johnson II into a scheme that relies on pressure from the front four.
The Titans also have the flexibility to revisit the free agent market if injuries or performance issues arise during the summer. Roster cuts across the league during training camp often produce a wave of available talent, and Tennessee won't hesitate to make moves if the right opportunity presents itself.
"We're never done looking for ways to improve," Borgonzi said earlier this spring. "If there's a player out there who can make us better, we'll explore it. But we also have a lot of faith in the guys we've brought in."
The Tryout Players Move On
For the 58 players who participated in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, the NFL dream will have to continue elsewhere. Some may receive calls from other teams in the coming days or weeks as rosters shift during the spring. Others may return to the Titans for training camp if an injury opens a spot. Most, however, will move on to other opportunities -- whether in other professional leagues or outside of football entirely.
It's the harsh reality of life on the NFL fringe. One weekend in Nashville, a chance to wear the two-tone blue, and then back to the grind.
The Titans, meanwhile, have their roster set. For now. The work is just beginning.