The Tennessee Titans are entering rebuild mode for the rest of the 2025 season. Tennessee more or less threw in the towel this week, firing head coach Brian Callahan after the team's 1-5 start to the season. Now the buzzards have already descended to pick the Titans roster clean of any tradeable talent.
Tennessee is widely believed to be open for business. In fact, the only two untouchable players on the roster are QB Cam Ward and DT Jeffery Simmons.
The Titans have already received significant trade interest ahead of the NFL's trade deadline on November 4th.
Tennessee wants to acquire plenty of draft picks so they can surround rookie QB Cam Ward with talent for years to come. It will be fascinating to see how much the Titans are dedicated to that belief, as they have several players who could be traded over the next few weeks.
But which players make the most sense for Tennessee to trade? And what could they get in return?
Below we will explore three Titans players who Tennessee needs to trade away at the NFL trade deadline.
Calvin Ridley deserves to play on a competitive team
Ridley has played well ever since returning from his absence during the 2022 season.
The veteran wide receiver has over 60 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons. This shows just how reliable a receiver he is, even towards the end of his career.
That production has slowed down as Tennessee struggles to find itself. He only has 16 receptions for 290 yards through six games.
Ridley is a 30-year-old wide receiver whose best years are behind him. As such, he makes sense as a win-now type of player on a contending team. He is in the exact opposite situation on a rebuilding Tennessee squad.
The Titans should want to get Ridley's contract off their books, especially if it means getting some draft picks in return.
Plus it would be nice to see Ridley play for a contender once again.
But Ridley's contract could make that difficult. He signed a four-year, $92 million contract back in 2024 and has a large $26.75 million cap hit in 2026.
Unfortunately, I'm not confident that another team will trade for Ridley at the deadline. Ridley is currently out with a hamstring injury. That, paired with his massive contract, does not make him an attractive trade candidate in the middle of a season.
I could see another team rescuing him from Tennessee during the offseason, but not during the season.
Arden Key could be solid edge rusher for contending team
It is finally time for someone to rescue Arden Key from the Titans.
Key has been a popular trade candidate in the past and that continues in 2025. In fact, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said that Key is one player on his radar to be traded at the deadline.
The 29-year-old linebacker has never been a hugely prolific pass rusher. But he is an excellent rotational player who can consistently get after the quarterback.
Key has at least four-and-a-half sacks every season since 2021. His ability to consistently get sacks, as well we defend against the run, make him a fascinating trade candidate.
But the question becomes: which contenders could use a pass rusher like Key?
The Detroit Lions spring to mind as an option, as they've been connected to every edge rusher over the past few years. But Key actually feels like he fits the DNA of someone the Lions could actually pursue.
Key can play on all three downs and has veteran experience. He would likely come at quite a cheap price, something GM Brad Holmes has preferred in the past.
I believe that Key is the most likely player on this list to actually get traded.
Titans should get what they can for L'Jarius Sneed
The Titans made an aggressive move to acquire L'Jarius Sneed from the Chiefs back in 2024.
Tennessee traded a third-round pick for Sneed and immediately signed him to a four-year extension worth $19 million a year. Sneed played like a superstar in Kansas City, so it made sense to give up so much to acquire him.
Unfortunately, Sneed has not played well in Tennessee.
Sneed has yet to log an interception with the Titans and has not held up as an elite coverage player.
Personally, I believe the situation is bad enough in Tennessee that they could easily convince another team that there's untapped potential in Sneed. Essentially, the same player from the 2023 Chiefs is still there, he's just in a bad situation.
I think the Titans should try to get whatever they can for Sneed in a trade. Even if it comes at a heft discount compared to what they acquired him for.
Time to start fresh in the secondary.
