In a rather surprising turn of events, the Tennessee Titans have opted not to use the franchise tag on linebacker Harold Landry before Tuesday's deadline.

With that, Landry is set to become a free agent next week unless he and the Titans reach a long-term contract extension before free agency period starts. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network noted, however, Tennessee has only until Monday to make something happen if they want to keep their sacks leader.

The Titans' reason in avoiding to use the franchise tag on Harold Landry is understandable, though. Not only do they need to create salary cap room this offseason, but they also have to prepare for the upcoming new contracts of AJ Brown and Jeffrey Simmons–both of whom are expected to command big money.

That's not to say that Landry is not a priority, but his contract will make it difficult for the Titans to navigate free agency and their future free agent deals since it could become too costly. According to reports, the 25-year-old could command anywhere between $15 to 17 million per season.

Landry has led the Titans in sacks the past three seasons, so there is no doubt they want to keep him in Tennessee in the long term. Besides, he is coming off an incredible 2021 campaign where he recorded 12 sacks on top of 75 tackles and 14 tackles for loss. You don't get that kind of production from the average edge rushers.

It remains to be seen if the team will be able to reach a new deal with Landry, but the pressure is certainly on them now.