Arden

Key

Ridley’s hamstring injury kept him down from Weeks 7-9, not including a Week 10 bye. He’ll be on the WR4/WR5 line in a tough matchup against a good Texans pass defense. Jeffery Simmons (hamstring) and Arden Key (quad) are also active. Inactive for the Titans are: S Xavier Woods (hamstring), S Jerrick Reed II, G Drew Moss and T Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson.

Ridley will now miss his third-straight game with the hamstring injury he suffered in Week 6 against the Raiders. The Titans will again hope that Van Jefferson, Elic Ayomanor, and Chimere Dike can step in to lead the team’s passing game against a defense that ranks in the top 10 in passing yards allowed and YPA allowed. In addition to Ridley the Titans also ruled out LB Arden Key and S Xavier Woods for Sunday’s game.

Rapoport kept the segment brief, simply listing the two players as trade candidates in the coming days. The Titans are looking ahead to 2026, and their young receiving corps, featuring WRs Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor, along with TE Gunnar Helm, has shown promise. Unfortunately, Ridley (hamstring) and Key (quadricep) are both hurt, but if the team is set on acquiring future assets, they could be willing to send them packing cheaply.

Simmons is now on the wrong side of questionable, which is a tough loss for the Titans’ defense. The unit could also be without OLB Arden Key (quadricep) and backup OLB Jihad Ward (undisclosed) who were also absent during the portion of practice open to the media. The Titans are tasked with containing the Chargers’ offense in Week 9.

Simmons missed Week 8’s game with the same hamstring issue. He now looks likely to miss a second week because of it. Fellow pass-rusher Arden Key also remains out of practice. He is dealing with a quad issue. The Titans didn’t have a great defense before these injuries. Losing Simmons and Key will make them an easier matchup for the Chargers on Sunday.

Simmons is operating as a one-man wrecking crew along the Titans’ defensive line. He is the only Titans defender who has double-digit quarterback pressures (24) and his four sacks are double that of the next closest player. Titans OLB Arden Key is, unfortunately, sidelined by a quad injury and WR Van Jefferson (ankle) is questionable to play despite practicing in full on Friday.

The ruling is a boon for the Titans’ defensive front that enters 2024 with somewhat shallow depth in the EDGE department. Key profiles as a capable No. 2 EDGE, ranking 33rd in pass-rush win rate (12.6 percent) among 64 NFL EDGE players with at least 295 pass-rushing snaps last year.

Key was valued as situational pass rusher with the Jaguars while they made their playoff run. He followed up a 6.5-sack season as a 49er in 2021 with 4.5 in 2022. Key is being brought in to help keep the Titans front seven afloat and finally cashed in after a slow start to his career. He’ll provide depth playing alongside Harold Landry and Rashad Weaver.

Key signed late in the free agency period, but it wasn’t due to a lack of suitors. After visiting Detroit, Baltimore, and Kansas City, Key lands with Jacksonville. Per NFL Networks’ Mike Garafolo, his new deal can be worth up to $7 million. Key joins the Jaguars after racking up eight sacks for the 49ers in 2021. Entering his age-26 season, he should provide pass-rushing help and versatility along the defensive line.

This is Key’s fourth visit of the offseason, as he’s taken a whirlwind tour of the facilities in Detroit, Jacksonville, and Baltimore. Coming off an eight-sack season for the 49ers and set to play 2022 at only 26 years old, the young pass rusher has created a lot of interest in free agency.