The Tennessee Titans entered the first day of NFL free agency with the most cap space of any team. They wasted little time before going on a big spending spree to add talent around QB Cam Ward. Head coach Robert Saleh made some investments on defense, adding John Franklin-Myers on a $63 million contract. The Titans also spent $105 million to bring in cornerbacks Cor'Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor.
Tennessee also made one big investment on the offensive side of the ball, adding Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson. He landed a four-year contract worth $78 million after incentives. Robinson was the lone bright spot on New York's offense during the second half of the 2025 season. That set him up to receive a massive payday from his former head coach Brian Daboll.
On the surface, this is a great move by Tennessee. The Titans need to add playmakers around Ward and Robinson was arguably one of the best receivers on the free agent market. He also has that connection with Daboll, which in theory means the Titans know how to use Robinson better than anyone else.
Unfortunately, I cannot overlook the massive contract that Tennessee handed out. You don't always get what you pay for in the NFL, especially when a contract does not align with a player's perceived value. That could very well be the case with Wan'Dale.
The Titans may have given out the worst contract of day one to Robinson.
Did the Titans overpay for Wan'Dale Robinson?
Let's get this out of the way first: Robinson is not a terrible player.
Robinson had a breakout campaign in 2025, hauling in 92 receptions for 1,014 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Surprisingly, he gained 300 yards more than in 2024 despite having one fewer reception.
But not every 1,000-yard season is created equal in the NFL. It is important to look at the context around how Robinson was able to amass over 1,000 receiving yards with the Giants last season.
Robinson received a whopping 140 targets in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons. For context, Robinson was the eighth most targeted receiver in the league last season, just ahead of stars like George Pickens, Christian McCaffrey, and Emeka Egbuka.
Targets equal opportunity, so it is not very surprising that Robinson had a productive season after being force fed the ball. In fact, it would be concerning if he didn't have a good season last year.
When looking at the top 10 targeted players in 2025, Robinson came in ninth place in terms of receiving yards. The only player he beat was McCaffrey, and he only did that by 90 receiving yards.
The issue is paying Robinson like one of the better receivers in the NFL when we don't know if that's true yet.
There's evidence to suggest that Robinson could repeat his 2025 production if he gets another 140 targets. But the Titans probably won't be a good team with Robinson is their primary target.
Ultimately, paying up to $78 million for Robinson feels like a reach for a player who is not a legitimate WR1.
How Wal'Dale Robinson compares to other receivers on similar contracts
Let's compare Wan'Dale's production to a few players who are on similar contracts to his new $78 million deal.
We will strip out Robinson's $2 million in annual incentives for calculating his contract's average per year (APY). That brings his total down to $70 million with a $17.5 million APY, which ranks 26th among NFL receivers.
First is Browns WR Jerry Jeudy, who ranks at 25th and has the same $17.5 million APY. He signed a three-year extension worth $52.5 million back in 2024.
Jeudy received 106 targets in 2025, 34 fewer than Robinson. He played in a similar situation in Cleveland that had turbulent quarterback play and where he was a primary receiver.
Jeudy logged 50 receptions for 602 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He received fewer opportunities than Robinson and had fewer yards as a result. But when you crunch the numbers, Robinson was a bit more efficient than Jeudy in terms of receiving yards per target.
How about Khalil Shakir, who signed a four-year, $60.2 million contract in February of 2025?
Shakir comes in 30th with an APY of $13.25 million. His contract may be a better comparison for Robinson, as it is more recent and also a four-year deal.
Shakir had 95 targets during the regular season, which he turned into 72 receptions for 719 yards and four touchdowns. He was more efficient than Robinson at turning targets into receptions. The same is true in terms of receiving yards per target.
One big difference is that Shakir had Josh Allen throwing him the football.
Was the Wan'Dale Robinson contract a mistake for the Titans?
After crunching the numbers, Robinson's contract does not look as bad as it does at first glance. But that comes with a few important caveats.
First, the Titans knew they had to pay a premium to get Robinson. Tennessee valued his familiarity with Daboll and needed to add a reliable starter for Ward. The Titans had the money to spend, so why not spend it on a known entity?
Second, Tennessee is still anticipating that Robinson will maintain the same level of success he had in 2025 in future seasons. That is certainly possible if he is given the proper targets, but at this point it is purely speculation.
Ultimately, Wan'Dale makes a ton of sense for the Titans given where the team in its lifecycle. The taem does not deserve blame for taking a chance on Robinson.
But the contract does still stick out like a sore thumb when compared to the other deals agreed to on Monday.
