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Two Titans landed on a top-25 NFL cut list. Could Tennessee move on from these veterans?
Calvin Ridley could be considered a symbol of a failed Tennessee Titans rebuild. Former Titans’ GM Ran Carthon signed him to a massive deal a few offseasons ago, and it’s been nothing short of a disaster so far in Nashville. A top-25 cap-cut list noted his $13 million dead-cap hit, and there’s plenty of offseason cut buzz already around both Ridley and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
FOX Sports’ Greg Auman listed both of these Carthon signings in a recent breakdown of the NFL’s top 25 potential salary-cap casualties. He slotted Ridley at No. 9 and Sneed at No. 15 — making Tennessee one of only a handful of teams to land two names on the list.
FOX NFL Analyst Lists Calvin Ridley and L’Jarius Sneed as Top Tennessee Titans Cuts
Auman’s assessment of Ridley, 31, was as blunt as it gets. He wrote that Ridley “was a bad miss for the Titans, getting $23 million a year and totaling four touchdowns in two seasons.” Ridley missed half of 2025 with leg and ankle injuries and is “almost certainly gone,” per Auman. Cutting him means $13 million in dead money, but the Titans would shed a $21 million salary.
Here’s the part that should intrigue fans of other NFC East teams. Auman floated an interesting landing spot. “Could he take a one-year prove-it deal with the Washington Commanders and his old Atlanta Falcons coach, Dan Quinn?” Auman wrote. That’s not a random connection — Ridley’s best football came in Atlanta under Quinn, when he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in his early career.
Carthon’s Sneed Gamble Hasn’t Paid Off
The Sneed situation is just as ugly. The Titans signed the former Chiefs corner to a massive deal — $19 million per year — two years ago, betting on the guy who missed only three games in his final three seasons in Kansas City.
What they got instead was a player who’s appeared in just 12 games across two injury-plagued seasons in Tennessee due to quad and knee issues. “No interceptions and a full regime change,” Auman wrote that Sneed is “likely done with the Titans, who have plenty of cap space but can move on here.”
And just like with Ridley, there’s an obvious reunion angle. Auman suggested Sneed could go “back to the Chiefs on the cheap,” which would help Kansas City’s difficult cap decisions at cornerback.
Could the Titans Actually Keep Ridley?
The Titans have so much cap space that it’s certainly possible they keep Ridley and bank on a season of good health. The argument: why take weapons away from Ward and new OC Brian Daboll when there’s so much money to spend?
As for Sneed, it’s worth noting that current Titans’ GM Mike Borgonzi was the assistant GM in Kansas City who helped orchestrate the trade to ship Sneed to Carthon and Tennessee. We’ll find out both players’ outcomes soon, as NFL free agency is around the corner, and the 2026 NFL draft is knocking on the door.
Justin Carlucci brings 13+ years of journalism experience to Heavy. A veteran of multiple industry-leading companies, he has hosted SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio shows and contributed to the New York Post, combining traditional sports and news reporting with expertise in sports betting and fantasy sports. More about Justin Carlucci
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