The Tennessee Titans' defense will be down a man in their Week 3 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. After listing him as questionable throughout the week with an ankle injury, the team placed starting defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat on injured reserve on Saturday.
The team initially ruled Sweat out for Week 3 on Friday, one week after he missed the Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams. One day later, the Titans ruled him out for at least their next four games by placing him on IR, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Sweat recorded two tackles in Week 1, including one stop for a loss. He racked up 51 tackles in 2024 as a rookie, starting 16 of the 17 games.
Following the move, the Titans elevated offensive tackle John Ojukwu to their active roster from the practice squad, according to Jim Wyatt of Titans.com. His signing comes in light of starting right tackle JC Latham also being ruled out for Week 3. Ojukwu appeared in 11 games in 2024 with four starts at tackle.
T'Vondre Sweat injury will hurt Titans' struggling defense
The Titans' defense will severely miss Sweat, who was one of their anchors up front. Through two games, Tennessee's defense is allowing the sixth-most yards per game and 10th-most points per game in the league.
Entering their Week 3 matchup with the surging Colts, the Titans are particularly struggling to contain opposing rushing attacks. Brian Callahan's defense has been shredded on the ground thus far, allowing 5.5 yards per carry, the third-most in the NFL. Tennessee has ceded 150 rushing yards per game thus far, the fourth-most.
Losing Sweat as an anchor in the middle transparently hurts a defense that is already struggling in the trenches. The situation only figures to worsen in Week 3 against Jonathan Taylor, who is coming off a 165-yard performance against the Denver Broncos.
Without Sweat, the Titans will likely insert seven-year veteran Shy Tuttle into the starting lineup. Tuttle has come off the bench for Tennessee, but has 61 starts over the last four years.
