The Tennessee Titans are undergoing big changes this offseason. 

The team fired Brian Callahan in the middle of the 2025 season and recently brought in Robert Saleh to be the next head coach. Saleh is a defensive guru who was previously the head coach of the New York Jets, and spent 2025 as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. 

One of the main priorities for Saleh will be rebuilding the team’s defense. Luckily, there are some solid free agent options who should be available in March. 

Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports recently predicted landing spots for the top free agents, and for the Titans, Pereles thinks the team is a perfect fit for edge-rusher Jaelan Phillips. 

Regarding Phillips and the Titans, Pereles offered the following: 

Tennessee has the most effective cap space in the NFL, and they use that to their advantage here to bring in an impressive edge rusher. Phillips only had five sacks in 2025, but he was tied for ninth league-wide in pressures and had an impressive 18.8% pressure rate.

As Pereles mentioned, Phillips didn’t exactly put up eye-popping sack numbers in 2025, but don’t let that fool you. Phillips was among the league’s best in pressure rate and total pressures. 

In total, Phillips collected 53 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and five sacks. Pro Football Focus gave Phillips a 74 overall grade which ranked 34th out of 115 qualified edge-rushers. 

Phillips came into the league first round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2021. The Dolphins had a disappointing 2025 season, and as a result, shipped Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the trade deadline. 

Now, Spotrac projects Phillips to land a three-year deal worth over $17 million annually in free agency. The Titans are projected to have around $100 million in cap space, so adding a player like Phillips would be no problem.

In total, Phillips has 205 tackles, 28 sacks, 32 tackles for loss in 63 NFL games. 

In Nashville, Phillips could immediately start as the one of the team’s edge-rushers. Jihad Ward and Arden Key are headed for free agency, so the Titans could certainly use an established starter like Phillips. 

There’s also a possibility that Phillips could unlock a new level under Saleh. The edge-rusher has never played for a defensive-minded head coach in the NFL, so Tennessee could be a perfect landing spot. 

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