The Tennessee Titans have been one of the NFL's most average teams for a large portion of the past 20 years, but have also had some great players, some of which most fans don't normally associate with the team. Here are five players you may have forgotten played for Tennessee.
5. Pacman Jones, 2005-2006
Jones was a very good cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2010-2017, but he was actually drafted by the Titans back in 2005. Selected sixth overall out of West Virginia, Jones and the team had trouble agreeing to contract terms, as Tennessee was weary of Jones' off-field history in college, and they were right to be. Despite playing moderately well over his first two seasons, Jones just could not stay out of trouble. His issues included assault and felony vandalism, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct, just to name a few. He was suspended for the entire 2007 campaign, and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys upon reinstatement. Jones spent one year in Dallas before being suspended again, and eventually ended up with the Bengals, the team he spent by far the most time with.
4. Eric Moulds, 2007
For a time, Moulds was one of the NFL's best wide receivers, but has been mostly forgotten by the national fanbase. He was drafted 24th overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1996, and made his first Pro Bowl in 1998 after he hauled in 67 passes for 1,368 yards and nine touchdowns. He played a total of 10 years with the Bills before being traded to the Houston Texans for a fifth-rounder in 2006, which ended up being a pretty grade trade for Buffalo, as they took defensive tackle Kyle Williams with that pick, who made six Pro Bowls in 13 seasons with the Bills.
Moulds played one season for the Texans, catching 57 passes for just 557 yards and one score. He was released and signed by Tennessee, where he caught 32 passes for 342 yards and helped the Titans make the playoffs, retiring afterwards.
3. Andre Johnson, 2016
Aside from J.J. Watt, Johnson is the greatest Texan of all time, playing 12 years for the team, collecting over 13,500 receiving yards. That's why it was so striking to see him play his final two seasons with the same division rivals he beat up on for the vast majority of his career. He signed a three-year contract worth $21 million with the Indianapolis Colts in 2015, but appeared washed-up at the age of 34. He was cut after the season and signed a two-year deal with the Titans, playing in only eight games and catching just nine passes on the season. He signed a one-day contract with Houston to officially retire as a Texan a few months after being released by Tennessee.
2. Steve Hutchinson, 2012
One of the greatest guards in NFL history, Hutchinson was consistently underappreciated during his 12 years in the league. He spent his first five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before moving to the Minnesota Vikings for six years. He signed a three-year deal with the Titans prior to the 2012 season, starting 12 games for the team, but retired afterwards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, finally getting the recognition he deserved for his stellar play.
1. Randy Moss, 2010
Moss is one of the greatest talents the game of football has ever seen, and was dominant during his time with the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. In between those stints, he spent two seasons with the Oakland Raiders, during what should have been the latter part of his athletic prime, but what ended up being the two worst (mostly) full seasons of his career. He looked rejuvenated with the Patriots for three seasons, but in 2010, he was traded back to his original team after four games. Moss did not get along with head coach Brad Childress, and was cut at midseason (Childress would be fired about a month later).
The Titans were the only team to claim Moss off waivers, and he spent eight games with Tennessee, catching six passes for 80 yards. Needless to say, he was not re-signed, and retired. He returned to football a year later, helping the San Francisco 49ers reach Super Bowl XLVII, but was unable to finally win a championship ring. He retired after the 2012 season, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, the definition of a first-ballot player.
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