After surviving a roster rollercoaster, Xavier Restrepo returns to Nashville’s practice squad, determined to prove his preseason breakout was no fluke following an injury-plagued road to the pros.
The Tennessee Titans weren't satisfied with their 53-man roster after releasing it on Sunday.
The Titans added three players from waiver claims on Monday: Owen Pappoe, Melvin Smith, and Nazir Stackhouse.
Tennessee then added offensive tackle James Hudson III and safety Terrell Burgess to the active roster.
The way waivers work in the NFL is that as long as a player isn't claimed off them in a 24-hour period, then they can become eligible to be an unrestricted free agent. It also means that they can be signed to a team's practice squad.
Receiver Xavier Restrepo had an interesting thing happen to him.
He was part of the 53-man roster announced on Sunday, but was waived by the Titans on Monday. After he cleared waivers on Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo reported that Restrepo was being signed to the Titans' practice squad.
It looks like Restrepo's redemption tour with the Titans is back on after all.
Let's go back to where things started.
Restrepo played with Titans quarterback Cam Ward in college and had the best season of his college career in 2024. He led the ACC with 1,127 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior season.
He then awaited the 2025 NFL Draft.
However, before then, he was set to perform at Miami's Pro Day. Restrepo ran a 4.86 40-yard dash, which isn't what you'd expect from a wide receiver.
After underperforming at Miami's Pro Day, Restrepo went undrafted in 2025 and ended up with the Titans. It was revealed that he was dealing with hamstring issues during the Pro Day.
He still made it to the NFL and joined the Titans' practice squad last year.
He got called up for a couple of games last year, and then the Titans upgraded their receivers in the offseason.
Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate made things harder for Restrepo to see playing time. Restrepo was already going to be competing with Bryce Oliver, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor for playing time, but the Titans brought in two starting-caliber players.
That didn't deter Restrepo, who was determined to get back to his old self.
He trained in the offseason and self-reported running a 4.45 40-yard dash. We got to see the fruits of his labor on Saturday night, when he led the team with four receptions for 71 receiving yards.
It had been a long and hard process to return to the player he once was, but Restrepo put in the work and got results.
It may not be what he envisioned, but he's still a Titan, nonetheless.
