The Tennessee Titans are entering a new era under head coach Robert Saleh. Tennessee was not afraid to make a splash during NFL free agency, adding several players on both sides of the football. One Titans insider shed light on one cost-saving tactic that Tennessee is using on most of their free agent contracts this offseason.
Titans insider Paul Kuharsky explained that the team is using bonuses tied to availability on most of their free agency contracts.
“Of 15 free-agent contracts where details of guaranteed money are known, 14 include cash tied to availability,” Kuharsky wrote on his personal website on Tuesday.
These per-game bonuses provide additional cash to players simply by showing up to play on Sundays each week. In theory, these incentives tie some of a player's compensation directly to their availability during the regular season. If a player suffers an injury and misses time, they will not be able to earn those bonuses.
Most NFL teams use per-game bonuses to some degree, but Kuharsky noted that no team is using them as much as the Titans. It may not save a lot of money, but there's no question it lowers operating costs for the team.
Kuharsky added that Titans GM Mike Borgonzi claimed that the Chiefs used per-game bonuses during his time with the team. He added that Tennessee has already used them before this offseason.
However, the big difference appears to be using these bonuses in free agency. Especially on the majority of contracts.
Tennessee is blazing a new trail by using per-game bonuses on most of their free agent contracts. It will be fascinating to see how much money they end up saving during the 2026 season as a result.
