One player's roster status hits a major snag following a PED violation, forcing Tennessee to weigh his potential against a lengthy early-season absence.
Thursday night was our first taste of Tennessee Titans football in 2026.
The Titans played their only road game of the preseason, traveling to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara to take on the San Francisco 49ers. It wasn't the most perfect game, but the Titans pulled out a 19-13 win.
The Titans returned home and won't play their next preseason game until Aug. 23. The team will have plenty of mistakes to correct from Thursday's game.
It also looks like the Titans will have to evaluate the roster more, especially in the secondary. Cor'Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor looked poor against the 49ers' third-string quarterback, Kurtis Rourke.
Whether it was De'Zhaun Stribling or Jordan Watkins, neither of them could be contained throughout the game.
The Titans may also have to look for another player to sign in the secondary after a recent suspension. For one Titan, he won't be seeing the field once the regular season hits.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Friday that Titans cornerback Nazeeh Johnson was suspended for six games for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing substances.
Johnson is one of the many defensive backs to join the team this offseason. The Titans have also signed Derrick Canteen and Mario Goodrich.
Johnson has a connection to General Manager Mike Borgonzi, as he played for the Kansas City Chiefs while he was in the front office.
He was a late-round draft pick in 2022 and originally came into the NFL as a safety. He played in 11 games, but mostly on special teams. Johnson then missed all of the 2023 season with a serious injury.
He returned to action in 2024 and played in 16 games with six starts. He accounted for 56 total tackles, one sack and three TFLs.
Johnson then moved to corner in 2025 and went back to being a special teams player for the Chiefs.
This puts the Titans in a tough spot with Johnson.
He can still participate in preseason activities with the team, but once the regular season starts, he must serve his six-game suspension.
If you're the Titans, do you want to keep him around and use a roster spot? Or do you cut ties and give someone else a chance to make the team?
Johnson had a good shot at making the 53-man roster before his suspension. Now, that's all in jeopardy after Friday's news.
It'll be interesting to see how the team handles this situation.
